Primordial God of Destruction
by MaelstromBankai
Summary: The war is over...but not how they expected. They thought they could control me? That I wouldn't have my own agenda? Fools, all of them. Now that they are out of the picture, I left in search of an impossible dream and plenty of strong fighters. Sacred Gears? Devils? Angels? Gods? Heh. Looks like this is about to get more interesting...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Highschool DxD or any other anime/manga that appears in this fanfic. If I did, you guys would already know about it.**

**Prologue: Divergence**

The Fourth Great Shinobi War…

A war that had been declared as the 'War to end all wars'…

A figure chuckled mirthlessly as he surveyed the war-torn landscape and the wounds the earth had suffered in the distance; where proud mountains once stood, nothing remained save a few meager rocks and unevenly cut trenches that was difficult to overlook. What had once been thick with lush vegetation and forests had been reduced to blood-soaked patches of bare land, with a noticeably _unnatural_ tree in the center. Vast oceans had been reduced to pitiful excuses for pools, having being used up in the lifelong war for the various Suiton (Water Release) jutsu. The sight extended far into the distance, with similar ones all over the Elemental Nations.

Life enjoyed crafting a cruel sense of irony; in the end, the Fourth Great Shinobi War had done as it was said to do. There was no more warfare…but at the cost of everyone involved.

He himself was seated comfortably in the unnatural tree, despite the scene that lay before him, sipping some sake from a flask. Conflicting emotions warred against each other under his calm and aloof face; the destruction that lay before him brought up deep feelings of regret, sorrow and rage; despite all they had done…in spite of all their vaunted strength, skills and efforts, they had still failed. The world was slowly dying.

Contentment, joy and calmness bubbled underneath his earlier feelings; the flawed world his predecessor had created was about to end. The earth would no longer weep tears as her children killed each other, would no longer have to suffer from the constant warfare the humans had brought about, developed and passed down to the next generation. With the cancerous insects wiped out, it would only be a matter of time before the Elemental Nations flourished once again.

Another swig of his flask sent the remainder of the alcohol tumbling down his throat, the substance as cool and refreshing as the rain that fell from the heavens. The figure smacked his lips in appreciation of the drink before returning to his survey of the lands. _'I wonder what you would've done in my place, Mortal God…Would you have sided with those descended from your eldest son, especially after seeing what the humans have caused with your 'gifts'? Would you have fought with those descended from the son you declared your heir, alongside your reincarnation? Or would you blame yourself for the actions you took so long ago, unknowingly contributing to the development of this hate-filled world?'_

The figure's thoughts were unanswered, the silence that filled the area unbroken and permanent. No animals came near the area; his extremely toxic chakra saturated the surroundings and atmosphere, granting those that foolishly drifted towards him a quick, albeit merciful, death.

"It would seem that the time has come for the next phase of the plan." He muttered, forcefully quelling the emotions that continued to throb within his heart. It would not do for his resolve to falter because of sentimental reasons, as Uzumaki Nagato had done so long ago. Rising to his feet with grace that exceeded that exhibited by most species, the man paused to briefly gaze at the full moon that floated in the sky.

A moon that was most assuredly not normal; instead of its usual lavender-coloured illuminating surface, it was blood-red, with four concentric circles and nine tomoe in the three circles closest to the pupil. The figure smirked, revealing unnaturally sharp fangs. _'Good, the Mugen Tsukuyomi (Infinite Moon Reader) is holding up well.'_

A short hop deposited him off the branch he had been sitting on, coincidently the highest one on the tree, and into the air. Instead of falling down towards the ground, the figure stopped mid-crouch whilst still air-borne; walking in the air like it was solid ground, the figure was thrust into the moonlight and his features were revealed.

The predominant colours of his garb were black and red; colours of death and blood respectively. The first item of clothing that one would see would be the red undershirt, drawing attention to the emerald jewel that was seemingly embedded in the shirt. A long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat with red lining draped over him and opened at his chest. Held together by three 'x' shaped marks, with the emerald jewel situated in the center of the middle one, the coat flared out into a number of ragged coattails. Black, tattoo-like bands with crimson ends were around his neck, acting as a collar and his pants were streamlined and form-fitting yet not uncomfortable. He wore black gloves, with red "v" shaped marks on them whilst his forearms had "x" shaped marks on them.

The man was a fairly tall, fair-skinned man with long blond hair which had black tinged ends and two long bangs framing his jaw line, making his golden hair look like a mane. His eyes were also unusual; the man had black sclera coupled with crimson slitted eyes. On both of his cheeks were three thick whiskers that looked like claws.

Uzumaki Naruto stretched his hands out, gathering his powerful chakra and focusing them through his hands until they became visible. In his right hand, white flames formed and flared brightly whilst black flames raged on in his left hand. Clasping his hands together, he let the jutsu activate. "Onmyoton: Banbutsu Sozo (Yin-Yang Release: Creation of All Things)."

"Kumen Sowaka (Nine Mask Svaha)." A massive mandala featuring each kanji of the kuji-in encircled by nine rings, arrayed in a cross pattern. "Seiryu (Azure Dragon)." A dragon that greatly resembled a seahorse emerged from the first ring, which bore the kanji for "azure". The dragon took to the skies and circled about, obviously awaiting further instructions.

"Byakko (White Tiger)" A lean and slender tiger emerged from the second ring, bearing the kanji for "white". It let out a content growl before slinking towards Naruto. Nuzzling his side, the chakra being stared unblinkingly at the remaining rings as it awaited his orders.

"Suzaku (Vermillion Bird)" A phoenix-like bird with gold and red being its dominant colours emerged from the next ring, which had the kanji for "vermillion". It loosely resembled a peacock; it had yellow tail-feathers, a white underside and green feathers at the tips of its wings. It also had a green stripe on its neck, a yellow beak, black rings around its red-iris eyes and a feathered crest. Joining Seiryu in the skies, Suzaku trilled a pleasant tune.

"Genbu (Black Tortoise)" A tortoise with a shell made of overlapping plates emerged from the ring bearing the kanji for "black".

"Kinja (Golden Snake)" A massive serpent with golden scales appeared from the ring bearing the kanji for "sky", its tongue flickering in the air.

"Tennyo (Celestial Maiden)" An angelic priestess with flowing robes that used ribbons to whip at opponents. It emerged from the ring bearing the kanji "jewel".

"Shinigami (Death God)" A priest that resembled a skeleton and carried a scythe, successfully recreating the appearance of the original Shinigami, emerged from the ring that bore the kanji "three".

"Hokuto Sennin (Northern Sage)" A priest with a fox staff that emerged from the ring bearing the kanji "north".

"Nanto Sennin (Southern Sage)" The counterpart to the former chakra being, the Nanto Sennin appeared just like the Hokuto Sennin but emerged from the last ring, bearing the kanji "south".

By some unseen signal, all the beings gazed at the moon in eerie synchronization. Releasing his hands from their position, Naruto recalled the chakra and began to walk away. '_It's finally done,'_ he thought. After the fiasco that was the Fourth Great Shinobi War, Naruto had pondered on how he would restore…no, resurrect… the Elemental Nations. The Mugen Tsukuyomi was a viable option and, coupled with the Kumen Sowaka, would create a work force that would never go against what they had been programmed to do. With them taking care of the world, using a fraction of his chakra to aid them in their task, nature would once again reclaim her rightful place in the Elemental Nations.

Unfortunately, Naruto would have to leave them to do this on their own due to his own new chakra; he had come dangerously close to creating a new batch of humans a few days ago, having been reminiscing about is Genin days and thinking about his former friends. His chakra had began forming what he had envisioned, though he had caught wind of it when the process began and prevented their 'rebirth'. If he grew careless, he could end up bringing about a species that would behave just like those humans…

The Elemental Nations belonged to the Bijuu. Humanity didn't deserve another chance to destroy; they had already showed that they would never change several times. His predecessor had seen it all; they all thought he was a myth, something that didn't exist and those that knew of him viewed him like a beast. To them, he represented something that humans always chased; power. None of them would know that he had manipulated their actions to a certain extent, never knowing that the hunter was actually the prey.

A fitting end for them; the masters of deception deceived by the One-Eyed God.

Holding his right hand out, Naruto concentrated on the image in his mind and willed his chakra to bring it into existence. Onmyoton had become something of a favorite toy for him; it was very damn convenient, allowed him to expand upon his admittedly twisted and vivid imagination as well as cut the cost on things he would purchase. It was difficult, as expected; the Sage of Six Paths may have taken it to a very high level, but that did not mean that it was something easy to attempt.

The tri-pronged kunai he had built in his mind appeared as soon as the thought was completed. Smiling crookedly in fond remembrance of his former father, Naruto twirled the kunai a few times before flicking his wrist towards the tree he had been resting on. "That should be as good a place as any other to put it there…" he muttered. His right eye easily shifted in design, going from slits to a strange design reminiscent of a pinwheel shape.

"I'll be seeing you later…Hashirama. Try not to lay any new plants while I'm gone." Disappearing in a swirling vortex, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared from the Elemental Nations.

**A/N: Okay, here is the prologue for the rewrite of 'The Bijuu Pawn'. Short as it is, please take into account the fact that it is a prologue not the first chapter.**

**Humanity is dead; there are no humans at all in this Elemental Nation. Naruto/Juubi wants to 'rewrite' his world's history and felt that humans would be counter-productive to the vision he has…so no more humans. **

**The tree is Hashirama…and a few others. You should be able to guess them.**

**Yes, this is going to be an Onmyoton! Naruto for the most part. It was originally supposed to debut in 'Demon King of Fairy Tail' as a method to match Erza's Requip speed…but things change, I guess. **

**Chapter 1 will be posted sometime after I arrive in New York and am properly rested. **

**MaelstromBankai.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Highschool DxD and any other anime/manga that appears in this fanfic. **

**Last Time:**

_**The tri-pronged kunai he had built in his mind appeared as soon as the thought was completed. Smiling crookedly in fond remembrance of his former father, Naruto twirled the kunai a few times before flicking his wrist towards the tree he had been resting on. "That should be as good a place as any other to put it there…" he muttered. His right eye easily shifted in design, going from slits to a strange design reminiscent of a pinwheel shape.**_

"_**I'll be seeing you later…Hashirama. Try not to lay any new plants while I'm gone." Disappearing in a swirling vortex, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared from the Elemental Nations.**_

**Chapter 1: First Encounter-Part 1**

In the late hours of the evening, a swirling vortex suddenly appeared in the middle of the fields. From the center of the vortex disembarked the young Juubi.

The first thing that caught Naruto's attention was the smell; the place he had arrived in was thick with the stench he had come to associate with humans. His lips twitched in displeasure as his nose continued picking the disgusting aroma emanating from each direction he turned. A brief surge of annoyance prompted him to curse softly; of all the places he had ended up in, he had landed in a dimension primarily catering to humans?

It seemed that Life wanted to try her hands at serving him some irony…and succeeding.

His eyes, which had been closed throughout the dimensional trip, slowly opened to view his surroundings. The night sky was much darker than that of the Elemental Nations, no doubt due to the mind-boggling concentration of contaminated chemicals in the atmosphere. Surveying the skies for another few moments, Naruto steadfastly ignored the little voice in his head that begged him to do something about the stars.

Damn that Hashirama for being a nature nut…now he was actually going to give a damn about Nature in this world.

The only world he was concerned with and would craft carefully would be his own; no matter how much Nature appealed to him, he would not waste his time attempting to undo what the humans had already done to their planet. His time would be better spent working on the designs of his new species, those that would populate the Elemental Nations.

Shifting his sights from the heavens to his surroundings, Naruto arched a brow as he took in the admittedly pleasant view of the large fields. Well-trimmed and carefully managed, it appeared as a location people would find in the pages of travel magazines. Folding his arms over his chest, Naruto breathed in the air once again.

"I see…quite a number of humans are situated in the area." He muttered to himself, ignoring the light breeze that blew through. His eyes narrowed in thought; just how had the humans of this world evolved? How different were their genetic makeup from those that had inhabited the Elemental Nations; did they have access to chakra? Were they more intellectually gifted? Maybe they had another source of energy and different means of using said energy?

As a being that liked to create masterpieces, these questions would help him gain insight on the creation process and which selective traits he would bestow on them. So, as much as he disliked humans, he would not pass up the chance to study the native humans and contrast them with his predecessor's creation.

Gazing around the environment, Naruto opened his senses to the world, steadily slipping his chakra into the earth and intertwining it with the planet's energy signature. Like flipping the light switch on in pitch darkness, Naruto felt the presence of the humans in the area light up, whitish-blue human-shaped colours lighting up in an ocean of darkness. He frowned, _'One, two, three…about fifty-five humans in the closest village, each of them having only enough chakra to live. Initial observation suggests that subjects are incapable of using jutsu, due to their absolutely miniscule reserves; more observation is required to prove that statement true…'_

Shifting his body until it was facing the direction of the village, Naruto began to walk towards them at a leisurely pace. It wouldn't take long to find what he would need and he was feeling a tad merciful at the moment; why not give those humans a few more moments of life before he ended them?

**-Shrine, Village Center-**

In the heart of the fairly large village, a shrine complex composed of a large number of Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, _**Naikū**_ and _**Gekū**_ stood proudly. The Inner Shrine, Naikū (also known as "Kotai Jingū"), was dedicated to the worship of Amaterasu-ōmikami. The Outer Shrine, Gekū (also officially known as "Toyouke Daijingu"), was located about six kilometers from Naikū and dedicated to Toyouke no ōmikami, the deity of agriculture and industry.

The grounds of Naikū contained a number of structures, including the following: a 100 meter wooden bridge, built in a traditional Japanese style. On crossing the bridge, the path turns to the right along the banks of the nearby river and passes through large landscaped gardens. After crossing a short, wide bridge, pilgrims to the shrine encounter the Temizusha, a small, roofed structure containing a pool of water for use in ritual purification. Visitors were encouraged to wash their hands and rinse their mouths at Temizusha as a symbolic act to clean the mind and body of impurity. The first of two large torii gates stood just beyond the Temizusha. After passing the first large torii gate, the Purification Hall (Saikan), and the hall for visitors from the imperial household (Anzaisho) was located to the left. The Saikan was used by shrine priests to purify themselves before performing ceremonies at the shrine. They are required to spend one or two nights to free their minds of worldly issues, partaking in baths and eating meals cooked with the sacred fire. A hall for special prayer, located just after the second large torii gate, was opened to the public for the offering of individual prayers to the kami, the giving of donations and the purchase of special talisman of protection, amulets and hanging scrolls of Amaterasu Omikami.

The main shrine, Kotaijingu, was preceded by a set of large stone steps. It was inside this shrine that raised voices could be heard from.

"For the last time, I will _not_ stop seeing Baraquiel!" The shout undoubtedly belonged to a female. She was a buxom young woman with long black hair that was tied into a short ponytail and violet eyes. She wore a traditional miko outfit, consisting of a white haori with red accents, a red hakama and a pair of zori with white tabi. Her face was currently set in a fierce scowl, her eyes flashing with defiance and resolve as she stared down at her parents, having risen to her feet the instant her parents had forbidden her from meeting her newest friend.

Her father, a stern-looking man in a military uniform, narrowed his eyes at his daughter's actions. "You will do as you are told, Shuri. No good will come your way if you keep interacting with that abomination; leave him out of your life and pray to Kami-sama for his forgiveness in regards to your actions."

Shuri tightened her fists in anger. "Why are you so against him?! He hasn't done anything to you ever since he arrived yet you still act like he doesn't even deserved to be regarded in a civil manner!"

"That's because he's nothing but bad trouble! All of his kind are!" Her father roared, shooting to his feet and literally vibrating in his anger. "They-"

A sudden rumbling had their increasingly heated discussion halted, both father and daughter stuck in frozen shock. Was it an earthquake?

That was when Shuri felt it; a limitless well of malevolent power that surrounded her, suffocating her in its immense volume, calling her towards it. She trembled in her still-frozen position, her mind in a disarray as she felt something _godly_ approaching the village.

Without another word, she ran out of the shrine towards Baraqiel's location. While she herself was well-versed in using her spiritual power as a miko in battle, Baraqiel would be more suited for whatever it was she had sensed.

Had she stayed a bit longer, she would've seen the satisfied expression on her father's pale features.

**-Ten Minutes Earlier-**

When he reached a reasonable distance towards the village, Naruto paused in his stride and nonchalantly turned his head to stare at a patch of vegetation with no discernible expression. For two minutes he kept staring at that spot until the stalker slowly approached from his hiding place, obviously wary of Naruto's perceptiveness.

A man in his twenties with black hair, he appeared to have an average appearance that made one tend to ignore him. In fact, the only the only thing that was unique about him was the shade of his eyes; an interesting shade of grey that shone brightly in the darkness. Stopping a distance away from Naruto, the man began to scratch the back of his head, clearly sheepish about being caught. "Um…well, this is awkward."

Naruto continued to stare, ignoring the man's obvious statement in favor of studying the man's chakra pathways. This man was different from those he had 'seen' earlier; for one thing, he actually had a decent amount of chakra, somewhere on the level of a low-Jonin, despite him being a lesser being. Also, he had an odd skeletal system; he had the base design of a human, but there were also bones that greatly resembled bird wings located along his spine. His bones were lighter than the others as well, with the 'wings' being hollow like a bird's. _'A possible weakness? Design is intriguing, a possible way to create hybrid species without the more glaring weaknesses…'_

The man quickly glanced in the direction of the village, mentally cursing his curiosity and the situation it had lead him into. "What's so interesting about that village?" He cursed once again as the blond he had been tailing questioned him.

"Look, I'm sorry but it's something I can't reveal. Now, whilst we're on the topic, why don't we forget what just happened and go our separate paths?" He asked, his voice a pitch higher from the nervousness and anxiety that was currently simmering underneath his laid-back appearance. Naruto stared at him for a while before turning, obviously intending to continue towards the human village. "W-Wait! You can't go there!"

"Oh?" The soft tone of the blond shut Azazel up; the voice contained something in it, something that made him feel the stirring of an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time: fear. "I…can't?" The feeling began to escalate when the blond's voice leaked a trace of disbelief at Azazel's words.

Slowly turning to face his stalker, Naruto narrows his eyes at the man's gall. Tell him, the Primordial God of Destruction and Creation, what he could and couldn't do?

He would enjoy dissecting this test subject more than he usually would.

A second later and Azazel found himself slammed to the ground with a force that he had not felt since the days of the Great War, his face and arms embedded into the hard earth and creating a crater in the process. Being caught totally off guard, any defensive spell he might've uttered was totally forgotten in the abrupt transition from being calm, albeit tense, to pain-filled and incoherent. With his face embedded in the earth, his spine protesting from its rough treatment and his butt raised in an awkward position, Azazel let out a muffled groan of pain; for some reason, getting dirt in his mouth was something he didn't seem to mind.

Shaking his head slowly, Naruto returned his attention to the village direction. Curious as he was about the strange man lying at his feet, he wasn't going to be sidetracked from his original goal. "Be glad that you're not the only one of your kind in the area…but I'd still recommend that you keep an eye out for me; I'll be seeing you soon."

With that said, Naruto headed off to his destination, his thoughts buzzing with anticipation._ 'A whole new breed, just waiting to be discovered…I suppose it evens out the stench of humans in this world.'_

**A/N: Hey…sorry for another short chapter, but I've been going through some serious bouts of disorientation and I'm also on vacation. I had to stay up late working on this because this is the only chance I'll get to 'work' (my uncle thinks that I should just take a long ass break and get back to fanfiction when I resume school-BIG NO!).**

**Now, this chapter is more of a set-up for the first of the many changes Naruto will bring to the DxD universe; Akeno's background and possible relation to Naruto. I've given it a lot of thought and I'm satisfied with what I've come up with. I'm sure you guys can see where this is going…if you don't, you'll just have to wait and read.**

**I have a question for you guys; should Naruto be younger or the same age? I personally think it would be best if Naruto made himself appear a little younger; older than Rias, Sona and Akeno but younger than people like Sirzechs and Serefall. Thoughts?**

**Your opinions on the latest chapter? At the moment, the only thought running through my head is that my theory of people being controlled by those chakra rods in 'Demon King of Fairy Tail' is actually possible. That and Madara is up to something…again.**

**MaelstromBankai.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Highschool DxD and any other anime/manga that appears in this fanfic. If I did, there would be a definite lemon scene somewhere after the Raiser-Arc…too many damn limes for my taste.**

**Last Time: **

**A second later and Azazel found himself slammed to the ground with a force that he had not felt since the days of the Great War, his face and arms embedded into the hard earth and creating a crater in the process. Being caught totally off guard, any defensive spell he might've uttered was totally forgotten in the abrupt transition from being calm, albeit tense, to pain-filled and incoherent. With his face embedded in the earth, his spine protesting from its rough treatment and his butt raised in an awkward position, Azazel let out a muffled groan of pain; for some reason, getting dirt in his mouth was something he didn't seem to mind.**

**Shaking his head slowly, Naruto returned his attention to the village direction. Curious as he was about the strange man lying at his feet, he wasn't going to be sidetracked from his original goal. "Be glad that you're not the only one of your kind in the area…but I'd still recommend that you keep an eye out for me; I'll be seeing you soon."**

**With that said, Naruto headed off to his destination, his thoughts buzzing with anticipation.**_** 'A whole new breed, just waiting to be discovered…I suppose it evens out the stench of humans in this world.'**_

**Chapter 2: First Encounter-Part 2**

Shuri ran as fast as her swift feet could take her, paying no mind to the annoyed and surprised yells and cries that rang in her ears as she shoved and forced her way through the swarm of people on her way towards Baraqiel's shack. Grunting as she finally broke through the crowd of confused individuals, Shuri paused briefly to catch her breath.

Having spent most of her time performing the duties expected of a miko, Shuri's physical prowess was somewhat less than what she would have preferred; her mother had prevented her from participating in any of the more demanding tasks of a priestess and also blocked her from the strenuous activities that their village was known for i.e. mountain climbing and bungee-jumping.

That wasn't to say that she was physically useless; having been trained to fight at an early age by her father until she became a miko, she was more than capable of defending herself. It also helped that she was gifted with the bloodline of the renowned miko Midoriko, the first combat miko who had taken her holy powers to a whole other level.

Taking a quick breath, Shuri resumed her mad dash towards her sorta boyfriend/toy. If there was anyone who could stand up to whatever it was she had sensed, it would be him.

However, the night was still young; the surprises were just getting started.

**-Edge of Forest, Village Outskirts-**

"Wait! Stranger-san!"

Another flick of his finger and the annoying man that kept following him slammed into the earth once more, a tiny bit of chakra added to the mix to result in a much harder slam than usual. Naruto just kept walking with a blank expression, ignoring Azazel's scream and muffled curses as the man was once again slammed to the earth. Didn't he understand by now that he wouldn't be deterred from entering the village?

If anything, the man's attempts to keep him away from the village made him more and more curious about what lay in the human settlement. Was it an item that was valuable? A powerful individual? Whatever the reason, Naruto was not going to deviate his path simply because a stranger wanted him to.

A sudden change in the air…

A change in the nature energy that his chakra was resonating with…

Naruto stopped abruptly, eyes hardening as he stiffly peered in another direction. He could feel several individuals approaching the village at speeds that far exceeded that of the humans he had sensed earlier. Unlike the man beside him, who was climbing out of his self-made hole, these individuals were totally different. _'The chakra feels…different. Almost like that one time…with Shion.' _What really interested him was the amount of negative emotions he could feel emanating from them; hate and anger, all wrapped up in a heavy dose of malicious glee.

Naruto arched a brow, keeping his gaze in the direction of the unknown individuals. On one hand, he could ignore this latest development and head on towards the village, get a better understanding of the genetic makeup of the humans and be on his way. On the other hand, he could satisfy his curiousity regarding the new individuals and obtain more samples to study after this whole thing blew over.

…Eh, what did it matter if he didn't get human samples from the village? With so many of them populating the world, there would be no shortage of test subjects so he might as well go after the new arrivals.

"Damn! They're already here!" Azazel cursed vehemently as he felt the accursed Devils fly through the barrier he had placed around the village. At the speed they were moving, coupled with the stranger that kept slamming him to the ground with mind-boggling ease, they would arrive at Baraqiel's location much earlier than he would.

Focusing his eyes on the stranger's back, Azazel decided that he had wasted enough time trying to persuade him to leave. In a flash of multi-coloured light, over fifty light spears were conjured and fired in rapid succession at the unsuspecting blond, who seemed to be lost in his own world. With speed that had been honed through life-or-death experiences, the swarm of light weapons rained down on the blond with enough force to completely destroy the area he had been standing at and creating a huge dust cloud that obstructed Azazel's view. Not stopping to watch the aftermath of his attack, Azazel unfurled his wings and took off into the skies. Baraqiel needed him and he wasn't going to let his friend die.

He still hadn't returned the latest Sarasa Hara porno he had lent him!

Meanwhile, within the dust cloud, Naruto stared at the retreating flying man with some amusement. Did he really think that he would be stopped by that last attack? Shaking his head at the thought, Naruto carefully brushed off the dust that had dirtied his outfit. Straightening after finishing his task, Naruto focused his chakra into his eyes and activated his Sharingan.

Slit crimson eyes morphed into a black design which formed a large circle with three smaller circles in it surrounding a four pronged shuriken-like design; the fusion of Madara and Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan. Sensing the newcomers stop somewhere south of the village, he activated another Kamui.

Silently disappearing into the swirling vortex of his Kamui, Naruto wondered just what other surprises awaited him this night.

**-Southern Village Outskirts-**

Appearing several feet above the location of those he was interested in, Naruto hung suspended in mid-air in a half-crouch and listening in on the ensuing confrontation. Looking at the situation, he could see the six people he had sensed earlier; each of them was wearing a long, black double-breasted trench coat with shoulder straps and a white , button-down bib. The coat was bound at the waist with a black belt, which was further adorned with a decorative belt buckle, and was worn over both white trousers and trench boots.

A few others had taken other additional pieces of clothing, as though to differentiate themselves from others, which included capes and masks. There were two females and six males, which made Naruto nod in satisfaction; instead of obtaining only one, he could capture one male and one female to better grasp the subtle differences that existed between the genders…other than the usual differences, of course. Shifting his eyes towards the fellow they had surrounded, Naruto watched curiously as the man-for it was a man-tensed and settled into a guarded position.

The man was middle-aged, gruff-looking and had black hair with a matching beard and a muscular body. He had donned on golden armor and was glaring at the individuals surrounding him. "I see you've finally found me, Devil-san. To think that I would be found out so soon…"

One of the males stepped forward, a hateful look on his face. "It's time for you to die, Baraqiel. For what you did to my family, I will smite you from existence and-Urk!"

He stopped mid-speech, surprise sketched on his face as he felt his heart suddenly stop beating. No, to be precise, it was a lack of feeling his heartbeat that made him so surprised. Slowly looking down, oblivious to the shocked gasps and looks made by his target and companion, he saw a bloody clawed hand sticking right through his chest with bits of his organs still stuck on it.

The hand flexed experimentally and an unbelievable spike of pain made the Devil utter a mangled scream, coughing blood in the process. "Boom."

The explosion sent each of the spectators flying several feet away, a large crater forming from the destruction as blood and gore flew through the air in many directions. Splattering on the ground and painting it a dark crimson, the unnaturally red liquid shone brilliantly in the moonlight, like a scar on the earth.

Rising to his feet somewhat shakily, Baraqiel called upon his power of Holy Lightning and struck; a magic circle flashed underneath the two closest Devils and blasted them with several volts of holy power, charring their skin and drawing out screams of pain from them.

"Damn you! Take this!" The second male, who had been able to escape the lightning blast, cupped his hands and fired a condensed ball of fire at the Fallen Angel.

Baraqiel just barely managed to dodge the spell, only for his eyes to widen as one of the females appeared right in front him. _'Fast!'_

He braced himself for a hit…

Only for her striking limb to suddenly disappear in a bloody explosion that splattered blood on his armor. Both combatants froze once again; the sight, whilst gruesome and surprising, was something that they had seen several times during the Great War. No, what had caused them to stop their fight was the blond man who had somehow appeared right beside the female Devil.

Hanging off her body like a close friend or intimate lover, with his head snuggled in the crook of her neck and arms snaking around her waist, bringing her body right up to press against his, the stranger had a curious look on his face that almost painted him as a child.

Baraqiel took in the sight of the blond, who was now curiously staring at the bleeding stump that the Devil was sporting. The predominant colours of his garb were black and red; colours of death and blood respectively. The first item of clothing that one would see would be the red undershirt, drawing attention to the emerald jewel that was seemingly embedded in the shirt. A long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat with red lining draped over him and opened at his chest. Held together by three 'x' shaped marks, with the emerald jewel situated in the center of the middle one, the coat flared out into a number of ragged coattails. Black, tattoo-like bands with crimson ends were around his neck, acting as a collar and his pants were streamlined and form-fitting yet not uncomfortable. He wore black gloves, with red "v" shaped marks on them whilst his forearms had "x" shaped marks on them.

He was a fairly tall, fair-skinned man with long blond hair which had black tinged ends and two long bangs framing his jaw line, making his golden hair look like a mane. His eyes were also unusual; the man had black sclera coupled with crimson slitted eyes. On both of his cheeks were three thick whiskers that looked like claws.

Then Baraqiel felt it. The _immense _power that exuded from the new arrival that traveled through his body, gushing out in waves of invisible energy that were so intense that even a beginner in sensing energy would have felt it a while away.

Looking at the whimpering female, who was paralyzed by the close proximity to Naruto's overwhelming and chaotic chakra, the blond gently grabbed the mangled stump and brought it close to his face. Opening his mouth, Baraqiel had only a second to glimpse the terrifying fangs that lay concealed before a tongue darted out; lapping sensuously at the bleeding limb, taking the blood into his body, the blond seemingly savoring the taste.

When he was done, with Baraqiel noticing that the others had also frozen in fear as they watched what was occurring, the man licked his lips in what seemed to be satisfaction. "I see…your blood, this life-giving liquid that you need to live; it shall be your death." The bleeding woman shivered at the sound of his voice; it was dead, yet held life. Pulled her towards him, yet also repulsed her. Her instincts were screaming themselves hoarse with conflicting messages; "MATE! MATE! FLEE! FLEE!"

Letting go of the woman, the stranger took a step back as she limply collapsed on the floor. Forming a strange sign with his right hand, Baragiel and two of the Devils felt their eyes widen at the sudden spike of energy…energy that they now recognized. _'Chakra! He's using chakra in such a manner?!' _Was the thought that formed in their minds.

"Ketton: Chishio Toburai (Blood Release: Blood Burial)." The female let out a shrill scream as the jutsu began its work; her blood began to burn, a boiling hot fire that burned at her insides like the fabled hellfire of Amaterasu. Blood suddenly exploded from her other arm, its form taking the unerring shape of scimitar as it sliced through her flesh in its gory exit from her body. The same occurred at her legs, her abdomen, her breasts, her face…each and every part of her body had blood forcefully expelled from it until she looked like a murderer's toy.

As the blood was shed, instead of splattering to the ground in a bloody mess, the liquid hung suspended in the air. Seconds later, it began to rise and coagulate into a dome that surrounded her. As more blood came together, the darker the shroud became. Soon, it turned pitch-black and finally began breaking the shroud finally dispersed, all that remained were her bloodstained clothes; her uniform had been reduced to rags and her underwear was literally disintegrated. Her shoes were nonexistent.

Baraqiel could only watch in mute surprise as the stranger pulled his outstretched hand back, causing the blood on the ground to spring up like it was being carried by an invisible wind and flew into his palm, where it compressed and hardened until it resembled a sphere. The man flicked his right hand and a glass cylinder slid down his sleeve; opening it, he guided the Devil's blood into the container, sealing it with a resolute 'click'.

"Now then," Slipping the cylinder back somewhere in his sleeve, the stranger turned to fully face the others. Baraqiel involuntarily averted his face from the young man's eyes; something about them made chills run down his back. "Time to collect my test subjects. Kamui (Authority of the Gods)."

In rapid succession, the remaining female and one of the males were sucked into two dimensional vortex, which had appeared behind and just beside them respectively. In less than a second, there remained only Baraqiel and the last male of the Devils. Giving them a once over, Naruto decided that he might as well draw out the stranger from before who was currently hiding within the forest vegetation, undoubtedly cloaking himself to try and prevent himself from being discovered. How foolish…

Holding his palm out, Naruto gathered the chakra in his hand; controlling the power, shape and rotation, as well as incorporating wind-nature and fire-nature chakra in the mix, and keeping the Kanashibari no Jutsu (Temporary Paralysis Technique) constantly activated was so hilariously easy that he almost felt sorry for any opponent he would face in this world. "I apologize, but I have some questions for the other one. Shakuton: Rasentaiyou (Scorch Release: Spiralling Sun)."

The Rasentaiyou appeared exactly as its name sounded; using Fire-nature chakra as the base element, Naruto had carefully eased in the Wind-nature chakra to exponentially increase its power. The trick was how much Wind-nature chakra he put in; too much and his jutsu would detonate, taking his arm and everything around him for a twenty mile radius. Too little, and he would end up with a slightly more powerful version of the Katon: Rasengan (Fire Release: Spiraling Sphere).

Hearing the stranger's suddenly surprised and fearful gasp, Naruto let himself feel a brief bit of amusement before he fired his attack.

**-Shuri, Path to Clearing-**

Shuri let out a relieved sigh as she sensed Baraqiel's magic signature thrum strongly. She was almost there…

Just a few more steps…

Just a few more steps!...

…!

The explosion that roared throughout the forest sent her flying backwards in surprise, the force of the blast strong enough to actually lift her from her position and deposit her painfully metres away. Landing heavily, an involuntary moan of pain escaped from her lips. "Ah…ouch, ouch." She gingerly pulled herself together, rubbing and clutching her side. Taking a look around her, Shuri paled at the sight.

The forest on fire. A huge chunk of the land that was just _gone_, almost like someone had taken a spoon and scooped out that area as if it was ice-cream. Baraqiel and another man, both of them injured, behind what appeared to be a barrier. And standing across them…

She trembled as her eyes fell upon the blond. Somehow, without needing to sense his power, she knew that he was responsible for the earlier power surge she and her father had felt. The fact that he was standing next to a blood-soaked area, palms outstretched and right in front of the beginning of the destruction, gave her further incentive to believe it.

He dropped his hand and stopped, like a dog that had suddenly discovered something interesting unexpectedly. Snapping his eyes towards her, the blond began to stare at her in a way that made her feel like a lamb in front of a lion who was unsure as to whether she should be eaten or not. His gaze made her feel tiny and weak as an ant staring at something it couldn't comprehend. Even though she was quite a distance away from him, she averted her face from his penetrating look.

"Shuri-chan!"

**-Baraqiel and Azazel-**

When Azazel arrived at the location, he had been expecting to see Baraqiel holding out against the Devil Assassins that were after him. Likewise, he had been expecting to arrive just in time to save his friend from any life-threatening injuries.

What he did not expect to see was the blond he had left earlier staring at Baraqiel and, to his surprise, the only Devil in the area. He had to use a few spells to see if he simply wasn't hallucinating, especially when he saw that bit of blood manipulation the blond had pulled off then. Who the heck even thought of using blood like a weapon? A fucking sadist, that's who.

…And a psychopath! And a mad genius!

Like him!...Well, that last part was untrue, he hadn't really thought of using something like that at all.

Anyway, he then found a good spot to hi-I mean, observe-and also erected a barrier, just in case. The blond had proved that he could see through a reasonably strengthened barrier, so Azazel wasn't taking any chances this time. All had been going well, or as well as the situation could be even though he wondered why Baraqiel was just standing there likes some awestruck fan, before the blond said that he was using Baraqiel, his buddy, as bait to lure him out.

He sure as heck didn't care for the Devil, but he wasn't going to let his friend die!

Just as the blond fired whatever spell he had prepared, Azazel teleported right in front of his frozen friend and threw up his strongest and fastest barrier.

The results had been spectacular…that is, for the person not on the receiving end of the attack.

Azazel had managed to block a good portion of the spell from both of them, about seventy-five percent of the attack if he had to guess, when his barrier collapsed from the pressure of the spiraling ball of doom. The pain was something that really threw Azazel for a loop; it had actually hurt. Even with most of the spells power reduced, it still hurt like a motherfucker!

This guy wasn't playing around; he had been going for the jugular right from the start!

Holding an unsteady Baraqiel to his feet, Azazel cursed once again. Why had the night turned out this way?

"Shuri-chan!" Azazel nearly dropped his friend, so great was his scare moment.

"Shut up, idiot! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Shuri-chan!" Baraqiel called once more, his voice hoarse and unsteady. Azazel whirled about to see a beautiful shrine maiden staring at them, eyes wide in terror and clutching her side. Then his view of her was cut off by the back of the one who tried to kill them.

Azazel summoned hundreds of light spears once again, aiming at the strange and dangerous man, when he disappeared in a vortex. Azazel almost let out a relieved sigh when he noticed that the shrine maiden was nowhere to be seen. Turning towards Baraqiel, Azazel clenched his fists as he saw his unconscious comrade.

Fuck. Baraqiel wasn't going to like this…

**A/N: Wow…amazing how our imagination helps overcome writer's block. Or is that just me?**

**Now, just so you know, the original direction this arc was to go was for Shuri to arrive earlier, help Baraqiel in his fight and try to convince Naruto to spare her village. After that, Naruto would learn about the Three Factions, the Great War and Sacred Gears…does this happen to you guys?**

**Shuri will be a very important member of Naruto's Faction; yes, he will be building a Faction. Grytr gave me the idea; a new Faction composed mainly of the Shinto Gods and any other individuals that Naruto finds interesting. You'll see his first 'recruit' next time; hopefully, it will be a nice surprise.**

**I'm still unsure about the harem; so far, Ophis, Sona, Rias, Akeno, Xenovia, Serefall and Kuroka are definitely in. Koneko, Rossweisse and Yasaka are in the 'seriously considering' box. I'm still iffy about Irina and any Fallen Angels, but Asia and Ravel will be with Issei. Yes, the perv will be in this fic. Shuri is off limits; she's already in love with Baraqiel and that is that. Suggestions will be considered.**

**Please review. **

**MaelstromBankai.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Highschool DxD and any other anime or manga that makes an appearance in my fanfic. If I did, the DxD wiki would be more descriptive when describing the appearance of the characters.**

**Last Time:**

"**Shuri-chan!" Baraqiel called once more, his voice hoarse and unsteady. Azazel whirled about to see a beautiful shrine maiden staring at them, eyes wide in terror and clutching her side. Then his view of her was cut off by the back of the one who tried to kill them.**

**Azazel summoned hundreds of light spears once again, aiming at the strange and dangerous man, when he disappeared in a vortex. Azazel almost let out a relieved sigh when he noticed that the shrine maiden was nowhere to be seen. Turning towards Baraqiel, Azazel clenched his fists as he saw his unconscious comrade.**

**Fuck. Baraqiel wasn't going to like this…**

**Chapter 3: The White Dragon Emperor**

In the silence of the night, in the heart of a dense forest full of life, a spiral-shaped swirl abruptly began to materialize. Starting with a small hole, roughly the size of a large grape, the hole in space rapidly bulged and expanded; from its initial size, widening quickly to the size of a basketball, growing further to the size of a gym ball before widening enough for an adult human to easily step through unhindered.

This strange event was not unnoticed by the inhabitants of said forest; a pair of curious rabbits had crept from their burrows, flocks of exotic birds had settled upon the branches of nearby trees in large numbers and even the predators seemed to ignore their prey in favor of gazing at the strange and supernatural occurrence. Wolves and deer sat peacefully, staring unblinking at the dimensional tear with human-like awe and anticipation.

Soon footsteps began to sound off in the distance, steadily getting closer towards the animals. They were firm and each step they took sent strong pulses of chakra through to the forest. Many of the animals trembled at the feel of the power; otherworldly, immeasurable and powerful; a few of them made noises and whimpers of fear. Still they sat, patiently waiting for the figure to step out.

Their patience was paid off when, not even half a minute later, the figure appeared from the vortex. Carrying an unconscious and beautiful miko in his arms in the bridal style, he had each of his observation subjects bound and carried by a long, golden fox tail formed through the use of the Onmyoton. The male and female were unconscious as well, the results of the drug he had injected into their bodies, and were hanging limply in the air. The man stared at the animals watching him with bored eyes, the familiar feeling of his chakra rushing through him.

The animals remained in their positions, watching him with their intelligent eyes.

Naruto arched a brow at their attitude. _'Interesting…they do not seem to fear me.'_ Shifting the shrine maiden into a better position and tilting his head forward slightly, Naruto's crimson eyes glowed a bloodthirsty ruby colour that was reinforced by the curtain of hair that overshadowed much of his face. His tails whipped about in the breeze, through they made sure to not damage their cargo. _'Time to change that…'_

Then he unleashed his K.I.

That day, the forest became known to all as the 'Forest of the End'.

**-The Next Day-**

When Shuri finally opened her eyes, the brilliant rays of the sun beamed brightly into her eyes and elicited a sharp groan as well as jabs of pain stabbing through her head. Shutting her eyes immediately, she withheld a curse and forced herself to remain still to allow her sudden pain to abate. "Stupid sun…" She groaned.

"I highly doubt that a big ball of gas has any sentience or intelligence for it to be labeled as 'stupid'." The deep, powerful and utterly _unfamiliar_ voice had the young miko jerking upright from her sleeping position in surprise. As she had been disoriented by the impromptu headache, as well as the surprise of hearing someone other than Baraqiel beside her, Shuri was not prepared for her 'bed' to suddenly shift and maneuver her into a proper seating position.

Opening her eyes, Shuri blinked furiously at the brightness once again. This time, she forced herself to blink the spots out of her system and eventually managed to take in the sight before her.

The first thing that caught her eye was the body…or, to be more accurate, what remained of the corpse. It was situated roughly five feet away from her, drowned and discarded in an alarmingly large puddle of blood and some vile-smelling liquid that she could not identify. It's head had been ripped right off, and not cleanly as well; the stump still had jagged rips around the neckline, with bits of its spinal cord sticking out and some flies buzzing around the rotting flesh.

It was nude as well, though it's gender was still indiscernible. Where there was supposed to be genitalia lay nothing more than a gory and terrifying _hole_ that existed in the carcass's crotch area; leaking pus, body fluids and blood, the sight and smell was potent enough to make Shuri struggle to throw up. The body's chest and abdominal section had its skin flayed off, revealing the flesh that lay underneath in its barest form. The chest had been exposed in a manner that gave the impression that something had clawed its way out of the person's chest; the ribcage was virtually nonexistent at this point, the remains looking more like finely grounded powder, and the heart, lungs and anything that lay within it had been turned into a paste.

Tearing her eyes from the horrible sight before her, Shuri looked down to see what she had been sitting on and gasped unconsciously. What she had initially thought of to be animal sheets had been actual animal fur; the fur of a canine, if what she felt was correct. The fur was soft, almost ridiculously so, and shone a regal golden colour that reminded her of…

Eyes widened, Shuri leaped off her seat and whirled about to face her captive, simultaneously shifting into her fighting stance and calling on the holy power that she had inherited in hopes that she would at least unnerve her captive.

All she earned was an arched brow.

He was sitting on an immaculate wooden chair, portraying the look of a humble noble working on a hobby. However, the look was ruined by the freakishly huge tail that, to her embarrassment, had been the 'bed' she had been sitting on. He was staring at her with an unreadable expression that unnerved her greatly; she felt incredibly inferior under his gaze, almost like a chagrined child under the scrutiny of a stern and blank-faced authority figure.

His outfit had changed, she absently noted. His long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat had been discarded, opting for a plain black top that clung to his body like a second skin. His pants remained unchanged, but he was barefoot, revealing that his fingers weren't the only digits that had claws. Standing proudly next to his side, its blade stabbed deep into the earth, was a huge blade that made her pause slightly. The only thing she could see was that it was large and black; anything else just flew over her head.

"I see you've recovered. That's good." He cocked his head, still maintaining his blank expression in place. Shuri said nothing and channeled more of her power throughout her body, ready for a fight. His second brow joined its partner. "Very impressive indeed."

"Who are you and what do you want with me? What did you do to Baraqiel?!" Shuri demanded, clenching her fists in readiness.

Naruto's eyes gained a slightly amused glint to them. "Oh? And why should someone such as me bow to your demands?"

Shuri tensed, preparing herself for a fight. She honestly hadn't expected him to- "However, you have something that interests me greatly so I suppose I could grant your request for information. How about I answer your questions in the reverse order?" Blinking in confusion, Shuri could only give a confused nod.

Her response seemed to amuse him further. "I used him as bait for his friend." Heavy and potent to an extreme degree, the blonde's power was slowly released in a steady stream; it encircled her like a serpent, reminding her just how terrifying he could really be. "I will not disclose the reason for my act and it would be in your best interest to not tempt me. As to what I wish to do to you…"

Rising from his seat, the blond kept his eyes locked unto hers as he began moving towards her in slow, confident and measured strides. With each step, Shuri's apprehension blossomed into fear and by the time he stopped right before her, she was damn near close to fainting. His power, which surrounded him like a cloud and reeked of danger, was assaulting her senses like a battering ram; she could barely keep herself from collapsing to her knees and shivering in fear.

His eyes, beautifully feral crimson eyes with black slits, coupled with his black sclera made his undisguised curiousity shine. "I would like to see just what power you have. The other one," he gestured to the rotting corpse nonchalantly, "showed some interesting details, but was ultimately dull. You, on the other hand, show much more promise to me than anyone I have met in this world."

Naruto saw the fear flicker in her eyes, though her body still seemed to appear defiant. Another weakness in her armor that he could exploit. Silently and stealthily, his shadow darkened and stretched like a slithering snake to connect with hers, ensuring that the interesting human would not try anything…foolish. He still needed to satisfy his curiousity, after all.

Shuri either didn't notice or ignored the fact that she could no longer move and looked right into his eyes. "What-What do you mean by that?"

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "You are human…yet you hold the same power as the winged man from the other day. I want to see why you, a human, has this power and how exactly it works. In return for your cooperation, I will guarantee the safety of your life and your 'Baraqiel'."

Shuri noted the odd emotion that had bled into his voice at her lover's name. "What did you do to him? Is he still alive?"

Naruto carelessly shrugged, uncaring of the effect his actions would have on her. "If you must know," he drawled out with a small sigh, "I left him and his irritating friend, whom I had my eyes on, for a more interesting being; namely, you. I have neither the curiousity nor the compulsion to know what has befallen him, other than the fact that he is in the care of his friend."

Shuri sighed in relief. _'At least he's alive…'_ "And the last question?"

His lips twitched, in amusement or anger Shuri couldn't tell. "Call me Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto."

"Himejima Shuri, priestess and daughter of Himejima Genma." She swallowed nervously as his tail brushed against her back, sending sinfully pleasant shivers down her back. Glancing nervously at her captor, Shuri swallowed once more at the cold and curious expression he wore. "Ano, Uzumaki-san…" His cold eyes never wavered in their staring yet he made no effort to stop her from voicing her thoughts. "If I may be so bold…and if I were to agree to this…could I pay a visit to my family one last time before you start?"

Naruto blinked slowly. Did she really think he was giving her a choice? That he would just let her go if she was against his desires? He mentally scoffed at that. As if he would let her go; who knew when he'd get another opportunity to study a Halfling such as herself…as well as the other one. However, her plea regarding her family was beginning to give him an idea…

Cocking an eyebrow at her, Naruto finally removed a hand from his pockets. Bringing his limb towards her, he focused on the item he was envisioning in his mind and opened his palm. The space above his palm spiraled quickly and soon formed a dimensional vortex, with the tear in space showing nothing but an inky black hole. Ignoring the gasp of shock from Shuri, as well as silently releasing her from his Kagemane no Jutsu (Shadow Imitation Technique), Naruto noted with satisfaction the folder that appeared in his hands.

Tucking it within his arm, Naruto returned his eyes to Shuri's nervous and slightly awed face, though he could see her trying to mask the fear she felt towards him. "To answer your question, you must know that I cannot allow you to leave my sight. Not only would you try and escape with the hope that you would somehow manage to return to your previous lifestyle, but doing so would not be…appropriate. Certainly not in any interest of your health."

Shuri swallowed nervously, trying to understand what he meant by that. "W-Why?"

The look on his face momentarily softened, Shuri finding herself surprised when a flash of sympathy gleamed in his eyes. For that one moment, he suddenly appeared more approachable than before; he still exuded that power, still carried himself as someone superior…but he wasn't as cold and condescending as she had initially believed him to be. He seemed…dare she say it?...actually human-like.

The moment passed and the detached look reappeared in his eyes once again. "It would be best for me to tell you this now, rather than have you find out and do something stupid in your emotional state. Have a seat." Flicking his fingers upwards, a tree root suddenly erupted from the cave floor, causing Shuri to yelp in surprise and take a step back. Before her very eyes, at a speed that was nigh impossible, the root had split into three different pieces as it kept growing until two wooden chairs and a table appeared. Gesturing to the empty seats, Naruto waited until Shuri sat in the seat opposite before he also sat down. "Before you woke up, I travelled back to your village in order to do a background check on your family to see if any other member, preferably male, had the same power as you do. I was sorely disappointed…" His eyes narrowed, the only action that showed his displeasure at the fact though his voice was still as calm as ever. "However, just as I was about to leave, I happened to chance upon a conversation that concerns you…"

Crossing his legs as he leaned back, Naruto opened the file and retrieved a tape recorder from its depths. Ignoring the curious look on Shuri's face, he pressed the play button and leaned back into his seat. His surprise at seeing the improvements and technological advances the humans had made in this world had stopped him from destroying Himejima-san's village. After all, it's not every day that one discovers the impressive achievements of a work he labeled as 'a waste'.

Maybe he had been a bit too hasty in judging the humans in this world?

The few seconds of tense silence that permeated the room was broken by the sound of a man speaking. _**"Have you completed the task? Is that wretched abomination dead?" **_Having closed his eyes, Naruto could not see Shuri's facial expression but he could easily imagine one; it surely would be a shock for her to hear her father speaking about that other bird-man like that.

An unfamiliar voice, oozing arrogance and vanity, scoffed at the question. _**"Of course he's dead; my peerage is the best in the Underworld and has a bloody history with the Fallen that they would love to get even with. Even if they reach the end of their limits, their drive for revenge and thirst for his blood will ensure that they hunt him down and finish the job."**_

A slight pause was made, followed by the deep sigh of Genma. _**"And my daughter? When will you rid me of her?"**_

Shuri's gasp was drowned out by the laughter of the unknown converser. _**"Ah, yes…the shrine maiden. You won't have to worry about her, Himejima Genma. The Underworld is in need of new Devils and I'm very sure you won't mind what I do with her after she is killed…right?"**_ The underlying threat is as obvious as the fact that women had breasts and Naruto mentally snorted at that. Having to use such an obvious threat to achieve a goal? _'What an amateur.'_

"_**Of course not…do as you please with her." **_

There was a soft click, signifying the end of the recording. Naruto finally opened his eyes, interested in Shuri's current state. As he gazed at her shell-shocked expression, he idly noted how similar the situation was to the one Obito and Sasuke once shared. The only question was how she would react to this betrayal…

**-Three Weeks Later-**

The Underworld was a place that many would consider strange; for one, it had a purple sky that remained that colour throughout the day and night, making it confusing for newcomers to differentiate between the two time periods. It was roughly the same size as the human world but with a much larger land mass, as there were no oceans. It was split into two regions; the Devil's Region and the Fallen Angel's Region, with the Devil's Region being the larger of the two though that difference was only marginally greater.

In the former capital of the Satan territory, Lucifaad, in the seedier parts of the district, a small boy prowled through the streets with quick, scampering steps. The child, who couldn't have been older than five years old, was a small and unnaturally lean build, as though he was planning to become a scarecrow in the future, and wore a dark brown tattered cloak that hid his eyes from view and revealed only the lower half of his face. He was barefoot, though he showed no signs of discomfort, and only the scowl that was visible made his observers note his current state of mind.

The streets were not crowded, which allowed the child to have easier access to the direction of his objective, and the only individuals that roamed them were those that had nothing better to do with their time. As the child made his way down the street, his scowl deepened.

He was always in this mood each time he woke up on this day. As he meandered his way towards another street, he allowed himself to think back to that fateful day. Each time, his blood boiled with a fury that was surpassed only by his desire to enact vengeance upon the two who had contributed to his current lifestyle.

He remembered all too clearly what they thought of him…

He hated it.

He hated himself as well, for being stupid and naïve in revealing his talents to them. Had he only kept his mouth shut, he would've not been on this path. He would've been safe within a well secured home, would've been fed nutritious meals that his current lifestyle could not afford, would have been treated better than he was right now…

But then again…had he kept his abilities a secret, he wouldn't have gained insight to the uglier side of the Devils he now walked amongst. Plus, he would have never proved his worth to his lifetime companion…

The boy snapped out of contemplation as he arrived at his location; a barren stretch of land where he could practice his abilities and grow stronger to fulfill his goal. Stepping right into the center of the land, the boy threw off his cloak and revealed more of his features; his dark silver hair swayed lightly in the small breeze that kicked up and light blue eyes burned with the passionate fire that had been blessed upon many great people. He wore simple garbs that allowed his small body to train without discomfort and, most noticeably, had a small necklace secured around his neck.

Settling down to some light stretching, the boy concentrated upon the power that lay within him and called out to his partner. _'Wake up, Albion. It's time to train and get stronger.' _He continued his stretching, waiting patiently for his tenant to rouse himself.

He was not disappointed. _'That's a fine way to say hello to someone…and it was just getting to the best part of the dream.'_ The voice sleepily complained, ending its words with a long yawn. _'What would you wish to focus on today? Your natural talents or my Sacred Gear abilities?'_

The child paused, contemplating his choices once more before he nodded in conclusion. _'I only recently unlocked the Divine Dividing Sacred Gear, and would like to start training with it as soon as possible. Sacred Gear wielders are widely sought after and I need to be strong in order to protect myself from those that would try and force me to bend to their ways…'_

The voice, Albion, let out a slow and steady breath as he prepared himself for the upcoming lesson. _'You raise an interesting point, Vali. Should you ever decide to follow someone, know that I will support you only if it is what you truly desire. Now then, let us begin…'_

**-Underworld, Twenty Meters Away-**

In the middle of the same streets Vali had once passed through, in the corner of an alley, a thin line appeared in the space. Small vertical lines then followed, connected to the first horizontal line to resemble teeth in the mouth. Seconds later, the dimensional rips opened just like a real mouth and revealed two figures standing within the dark space from where they originated from. Stepping out into the streets, the strangely-shaped dimensional break sealed itself seamlessly.

Uzumaki Naruto took a customary look around, sweeping the area with a curious look. Deciding that the street view was not u to standard, he grabbed his companion and leaped towards the nearest tall structure. Ignoring the startled yelp that Shuri made, he perched upon the roof of the building with Shuri held securely in his grasp, his feet stuck to the tiles with chakra. Shuri, being the shorter of the two, shivered slightly despite the long length coat she was wearing.

Shooting him a sharp glare, the former miko began thrashing within his grasp. "Damnit Naruto, put me down this instant! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!"

Said Primordial just shot her an amused look as he weathered her tantrum, her hits barely even registering on his mind. "So you want me to drop you?" That shut her up pretty quickly, though she still gave him an angry pout which made his pat her head like some kind of pet. "Don't worry, we'll only be here for a couple of hours. Just do a scope of the area and try to sense anyone who would be interesting to recruit."

Scowling petulantly, Shuri nevertheless nodded at her orders. It was hard for most to tell, but Naruto had become more…light-hearted? Open? Friendly? She didn't know what it was, but the blond had become much more approachable than he was before. She would've liked to say that it was mainly due to her being in his life, slowly but surely working past the barriers he had created to keep others out…

Too bad all the changes had been caused by anime, manga and gaming.

Well, to be honest, it had seemed like a way for her to relax from the monotony of training, being tested and trying to understand her captor. The moment he had watched an episode of Dragon Ball with her, he was hooked like a fish on a bait.

Turning in one particular direction, Naruto arched a brow as he felt an increase in energy occurring somewhere twenty meters away. A smile crept on his lips as he registered the quality of the energy spike._ 'I believe I've found my first recruit…'_

Dropping Shuri unceremoniously unto the rooftop, Naruto smiled at her angry glare. "Take your time searching, I've got something interesting to see. Meet me back here in three hours." With that said, he leaped off into the air and landed, pulling the gas molecules together and hardening them to support his weight. In a blur, he disappeared towards the direction of the energy source.

**-Vali, Same Time-**

'_The Divine Dividing is a Sacred Gear that has the ability to divide the power of its opponents by half after coming into contact with them every 10 seconds. The halved power can be assimilated into yours, revitalizing you faster and reducing the time needed for you to rest during a fight. However, if the amount of energy you add exceeds the amount you can safely contain, the excess is expelled out the wings.' _Albion explained as Vali marveled at the large pair of white Dragon wings that protruded from his back.

The wings seemed out of place on the young child; if anything, the child would've looked much better with them had he been a teenager but Vali didn't care for such trivial things like his appearance. _'What else does the Divine Dividing do?'_

Albion hummed in thought, watching Vali move his wings in all sorts of ways. He was obviously trying to get used to them as quickly as possible. _'For now, let us work on your ability to halve enemy attacks. Your body would have to grow a bit more before I can safely teach you more about my power.' _

Vali scowled fiercely, glaring at his diminutive frame as though it was a culprit in this situation. "Damn body…why won't it just grow already?!"

"You know, a kid as young as yourself shouldn't be talking to himself like that." Whirling about, ignoring the increased thumping of his heart at the surprise, Vali took a cautious step back as the space behind him shimmered like smoke and twisted to reveal a strange man. The man grinned at the silver-haired boy, sharp and long fangs glinting dangerously. "It makes others think you've got a few screws loose."

The predominant colours of his garb were black and red; colours of death and blood respectively that drew a raised brow from the boy. The first item of clothing that he saw was the red undershirt, drawing attention to the emerald jewel that was seemingly embedded in the shirt. A long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat with red lining draped over him and opened at his chest. Held together by three 'x' shaped marks, with the emerald jewel situated in the center of the middle one, the coat flared out into a number of ragged coattails. Black, tattoo-like bands with crimson ends were around his neck, acting as a collar and his pants were streamlined and form-fitting yet not uncomfortable. He wore black gloves, with red "v" shaped marks on them whilst his forearms had "x" shaped marks on them.

The man was a fairly tall, fair-skinned man with long blond hair which had black tinged ends and two long bangs framing his jaw line, making his golden hair look like a mane. His eyes were also unusual; the man had black sclera coupled with crimson slitted eyes. On both of his cheeks were three thick whiskers that looked like claws. Taking in his appearance, Vali cautiously extended his senses to try and determine how strong the man before him was.

'_Vali! Wait! Don't-!' _

Albion's warning was too late in coming. Vali, too inquisitive for his own good at that age, had brushed his senses against the stranger's…and the results had been entirely unexpected.

To Albion, it was like being engulfed, completely submerged, in an endless ocean of power that transcended anything he had ever experienced. Having enough power to be crowned a Heavenly Dragon amongst his kind, which were known for representing power, and a direct rival of Ddraig, he had thought that he was a force to be reckoned with. That his abilities placed him in a league of his own.

He had never been so wrong; compared to this…he was like a hatchling against the True Dragon himself.

Vali had it worse; having experienced only a portion of Albion's power, the child was nowhere near prepared to withstand the sheer potency of the Juubi's power. In the words of Kurama, he had just measured…something that couldn't be measured.

Unable to function under the glimpse he had unwillingly taken of Naruto's power, Vali collapsed in sweet and blissful unconsciousness.

Staring owlishly at the boy's sudden passing out, Naruto sighed and crept down to get a better look at the boy. Eyeing the wings he had and the impressive power he had, Naruto gently picked him up and began to carry him away. Frowning at the boy's light weight, a Kage Bunshin seamlessly formed beside him and took off through the streets in search of basic necessities for the child.

He gave the boy another look, this one softer than he would've shown had Vali been conscious. "Rest easy, little one. I will help you rise amongst the sheep and show the others how truly special you are." Activating Kamui, both individuals disappeared, never to be seen again.

**A/N: Yosh! A much longer chapter three, revealing the first member of Naruto's Faction: Vali Lucifer, the White Dragon Emperor, wielder of the Divine Dividing and rival of Issei! Yes, Issei will be appearing…but he's going to be different from canon Issei. Just wait and see.**

**Just got my IGCSE results back and damn, am I pleased with them! Since I'm so pleased, I'll work twice as hard to deliver the next update soon!**

**Next chapter will fast-forward to the time Rias and Akeno meet, the unveiling of Naruto's second recruit and something I'm sure you've wanted to see: Naruto vs. a Shinto Kami. I haven't decided which one he's going to fight yet, so suggestions are always welcome.**

**Harem Update: Rias, Ophis, Akeno, Serefall, Sona, Xenovia, Kuroka, Yasaka, Rossweisse and Koneko are in. If you have any other suggestions, please PM them to me.**

**MaelstromBankai.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Highschool DxD or any other anime that appears in this fanfic of mine. Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Highschool DxD belongs to Ichiei Ishibumi, two very creative people that had the luck to be born before me.**

**A/N: Just so that you guys aren't confused, I'm putting the ages of the characters in the next two chapters here so that you don't come bitching to me:**

**Naruto: Real Age unknown, appears to be 15.**

**Shuri: 34 years.**

**Akeno: 10 years (Accelerated growth).**

**Rias: 10 years, two months older than Akeno.**

**Vali: 9 years.**

**Kuroka: 15 years.**

**Kitty/Koneko: 4 years.**

**Sirzechs: Real age unknown, appears 16.**

**Chapter 4: The Return of a Fallen-Part 1**

Himejima Shuri sighed in annoyance as she found herself having to maneuver her way through the crowd once again, one hand trailing behind her and grasping that of her companion's. Two hours after she had been left by Naruto, the streets had began to fill up with a wide variety of individuals; she had seen some High-Class Devils, humans and even a few Fallen Angels making their way through the streets of the Underworld. With the increased population, travelling back to the rendezvous point was slow going and irksome.

Glancing back at the teenage girl accompanying her, Shuri's lips twitched at the sight of the pout that was branded on her face. The girl was fairly tall, already well on her way to surpassing Shuri, with soft black hair that reached the middle of her back and split bangs. Her eyes were an interesting hazel with cat-like pupils, which gave her a naturally sensual look. Despite the rags she wore, her skin was unblemished and creamy, the womanly curves that were visible showed that she was in the midst of puberty. Her bust was well endowed for her age, but given what she was that was a given. Finally, two black tails moved around from her rear as her cat ears twitched at every sound.

Shuri had found her near the border that separated the Devil's Region and the Fallen Angel's Region, pick-pocketing anyone that she could get her claws on. Having bumped into her intentionally, Shuri had quickly grasped her hand and quietly requested her to follow, making sure that the clinking of gold pieces had been heard. Making an exit scene that appeared to everyone watching them like a mother scolding her teenage child, they had made their getaway. Shuri had sensed the well of power that lay within the young yokai and was positive that Naruto would want someone like her as a recruit.

Plus, she was kinda hoping that the girl would be able to shift Naruto's focus from her…at least for a little bit. Being made to do all sorts of challenging exercises all the time was daunting, boring and irritating.

Finally deciding that she had to say something, Shuri spoke up. "I see you're not much of a speaker, are you?" Her eyes flickered to the rooftop, making note of Naruto's upright figure waiting for her.

The neko rolled her eyes at the strange woman, running her fingers through her hair. "Look, I only followed you because of the money you're carrying. I don't care whatever you need me to do, but don't try and act all friendly if you don't feel like it, nya." She crossed her arms, a serious look on her face. "So, what's my job, nya?"

Smiling, Shuri stopped directly underneath the structure that Naruto was standing under and crossed her fingers. Giving the possible recruit a warm smile whilst projecting as warm an appearance as she could, Shuri leaned against the building. "Tell me about yourself first. After all, you might not even be suitable for what I need, but we'll see. So, who are you?"

Said girl blinked, her golden eyes holding curiousity and uncertainness in them. "Well…I suppose I could do so, not like I've got anything to lose here." She said, wringing her fingers together. "My name is Kuroka. Just Kuroka, no family name, nya." Shuri nodded in acquiescence, mentally making a note to do a more thorough background check on Kuroka. "I…," she licked her lips, mentally wondering what else she should say. "Uh…I'm a pretty playful person, I like drinking warm milk and my little sister, nya."

Shuri smiled at the cute verbal tick Kuroka unconsciously made, though she latched unto the last thing she had said. "You have a little sister? How old is she?"

Kuroka's appearance hardened in an instant, shifting from that of an unsure teenager to a guarded and tense fighter. "I'd appreciate it if you keep away from that topic."

Taking a quick glance towards Naruto, who she could barely see nod at her unasked question, Shuri leaned into Kuroka, keeping away enough for it to not be personal. "Alright, it's not any business of mine anyways. Well then, Kuroka…How would you like to be able to live without fear for your sister and yourself? How would you like to live your lives to the fullest, without worry for food or shelter or any other need?"

Blinking rapidly, Kuroka took a step back with wide eyes. "Are-Are you trying to get me to join you?"

Shuri cocked her head to the side. "Who said I'm the one recruiting you?"

Kuroka suddenly felt a hand drape itself over her shoulder and let out a startled yelp as she spun around. Whipping her head to face whoever had snuck up on her, the outcry she had been about to throw out died as soon as she saw him.

He looked _**perfect**_; long and silky-looking hair that shone a magnificent golden colour even in the purple light of the Underworld, smooth skin that had the barest tint of the sun and eyes that captured her within their cool gaze. Her heart thundered within her chest, each beat sounding louder and louder to her ears. Eyes drifting away from his face, her cheeks flushed red at the powerful build he had. She noticed that he had a preference for the colours of blood and death, but paid no mind to it.

Shuri slapped her hand over her mouth, holding back the giggles that wanted to break out at the sight of the Nekomata getting flustered at the sight of her companion. Eventually managing to squash down the giggles, she stepped forward with a wide smile. "Kuroka, this is the one who is recruiting you." If she thought Kuroka couldn't successfully become a tomato, Shuri found herself pleasantly surprised to see Kuroka pull it off.

Shaking his head at Shuri's actions, Naruto nonetheless made a short bow in greeting. "Hello. My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and it is a pleasure to meet someone as breathtaking as you." Grasping her hand, Naruto graced them with a kiss that sent shivers down Kuroka's spine. Lifting his head up, Kuroka stared at his pinwheel shaped eyes in wonder. "Kamui."

Before she could understand what happened, she was gone in a spiraling vortex.

Finally at her limit, Shuri removed her hand and let out the giggles that had been restrained since Naruto's arrival. "Naruto…you really have no shame, do you?" She giggled once more at what had just happened, leaving Naruto to stare at her in amusement. "Making an innocent girl like her feel so hot and bothered on your first meeting…she's likely to develop a crush on you for sure."

"Whatever are you talking about? I did no such thing to induce such a reaction towards me." Shuri stopped laughing, staring at him slightly slack-jawed at his admission. Shrugging, he glanced at her. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I meant every word I said. You picked an excellent choice for recruitment. However," he frowned slightly, "we'll need to bring her sister with us."

Shuri nodded in understanding, having snapped out of her earlier state. "Yes. Judging by her reaction, she most likely loves her sister dearly and has an overprotective side to her. If we leave her sister here, she'll never join you."

Nodding once, Naruto stuck his hand out and opened a Garganta towards the world of mortals. "I've got one more thing for you to do, Shuri." Seeing that he had her attention, he unsealed a briefcase from his arm and handed it over to her. "Go to the Human World and buy as much food and basic necessities as you can for two children and one teen."

He ignored the question mark floating above her head and disappeared once again. He idly wondered if any deity was responsible for the twists he had been experiencing.

**-Time Skip-**

When Vali woke up, the first thing he saw was the mocha-coloured ceiling of the room he was in. Still addled by his slumber, the boy just ignored the odd fact that the sky wasn't that colour and turned to continue sleeping. Of course, his plans were put to a screeching halt when his eyes saw the man from before sitting next to the bed he was laying on.

For a few seconds both simply stared at each other, Naruto waiting for the boy to get over the shock and a wide awake Vali trying to understand what was going on. Deciding to set the ball rolling, Naruto cocked his head to the side and questioned, "Yo. Are you feeling any better?"

"AAAAGGGGHHHHH!"

Arching a brow at Vali's scream, Naruto watched as the boy scurried away from him in fear and anger. "That's quite the energetic response, but you still haven't answered my question. ** . **?" The boy nodded so quickly that Naruto wondered if his head would roll off. He rose from his seat, cracking the joints in his neck. "That's good. It would be bad for you if you died before you even began to see girls in a different light."

Finally regaining some of his courage, Vali took a look around his surroundings. Other than standard items that he expected to be in a room, there was nothing in particular that caught his interest. "Who are you? And what do you want with me?" Vali mentally pat his own back at the steadiness in his voice despite the nervousness he was feeling.

Naruto crossed his arms and settled himself into a crossed-legs crouch. "First of all, my name is Uzumaki Naruto…but you can call me Juubi." He sent the boy a conspiring wink, as though including him in some secret of sort. "As to what I want with you…" He stared at him intensely, making the boy tense in case he was about to attack. "I don't know just yet."

Vali blinked. Twice. "Eh?"

Red slit eyes bored into blue ones with a gaze that paralyzed Vali with the will of a transcended being. "When I first approached you, I had planned on recruiting you for my Faction." Vali's eyes widened at the admission. "However, things changed. You actually did something unexpected and caught a glimpse of my true self, something I never expected anyone in this world to achieve."

He frowned and leaned back into his chair. "After you fell unconscious, I carried you here. As I did, I noticed how light you felt. I thought to myself, 'Shouldn't he be heavier than this? He feels like he hasn't eaten for a while…' Imagine my surprise when I touched your wings and found myself in your mind. I met your friend Albion."

At that, Vali began to tremble. Noticing that, Naruto dispelled his fears. "Do not be concerned, I had no quarrel with him and we just talked. In case you can't reach him, I'd advise you to leave it be until the evening; he's using my gift to you in order to repair the damage done to you by your parents and your lack of nutrients for body growth."

Licking his lips, Vali clenched his hands as he grit his teeth. _'Albion told him?! Why?! Why did you do that, Albion?'_

"Don't blame your friend for telling me about your past." Naruto said, still staring at Vali intensely. "I know it is hardly his right to do so, but Albion cares about you more than he lets on. Instead of giving him a hard time, why don't you try and understand why he did so?"

Vali looked down at his hands, contemplating Naruto's words. "Which brings me to my current dilemma-what should I do with you?" The boy snapped his head towards Naruto with wide eyes. "Your situation and circumstances…are similar to my childhood. Knowing this, my emotions have coloured my vision and prevent me from going down certain paths. Even now as I look at you, a part of me wants to nurture and shape you into something better…something special…"

Holding out his hand, Vali's jaw dropped as ice began to form and take shape. In no time at all, a large sheet of ice was hanging within Naruto's palm. His smirked at the awestruck look on the young boy's face. "What do you say? You wish to become strong, don't you? I could help you achieve that goal; after all, what would you have to lose? You wouldn't even have to do anything for me just yet…maybe in the near future."Naruto smiled at the hunger in the boy's eyes; the boy's thirst for knowledge and desire for power would certainly work in his favor.

Vali then frowned, "What's in it for you? What do you get from all this?" One thing he had learned living on the streets was that if something appeared too good to be real, the chances of there being a catch are always high.

He smirked. "An apprentice, a disciple or a son…you pick your choice and I'll see it through to the end."

**-Time Skip, 4 Years-**

"Vali-nii! Kaa-chan wants to see you in the training room!" A ten year old girl called out as she stepped into a room, poking her head round the door to catch the sight of her pseudo-brother.

Vali, now nine years old, groaned in annoyance at the news and removed the headphones he had been wearing. "Really? She couldn't wait until I was done with this album?" He questioned rhetorically, rising from his seat and turning to face the girl. "Thanks for the message, Akeno. See you in a bit."

"You too, Vali-nii!" she called out as he briskly left the room, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he marched away. The young girl giggled at his antics and skipped away to find her best friend. She was a pretty little thing, her mother's little angel; wearing a pretty white dress that her mother had given her, her long black hair held together with a red ribbon and her violet eyes sparkling with curiousity and excitement, all she needed was a set of wings and golden halo to complete the image.

"Hmm…where could Naruto-kun be?" She wondered as she skipped her way throughout the large mansion she and her family lived in.

Stopping in front of a particular mahogany door, Akeno's eyes sparkled as her legs skipped faster. Stopping in front of the door, she wrenched it open with a loud cry, "Naruto-kun! Are you here?"

A muffled sigh was heard as she entered the dimly lit room, a shadowy form flickering in the distance. "What do you want? I'm a little busy right now." As she fully entered the room, she noticed light emanating from one corner of the room. Drifting closer, she smiled as she saw her friend laying on his bed with his laptop. With the laptop screen facing the doorway, one could see a page on genetics opened on the internet browser.

He was bare-chested, something that exasperated her mother greatly but Akeno didn't really have any issues with his weird actions. His crimson pants were the only thing preserving his dignity and only black armbands adorned his upper body. She frowned lightly at the length of his hair; he had cut it short, probably because of how untamable it was whenever he let it grow.

Pouting at his lackluster attitude and short hair, Akeno placed her hands on her waist and stared at him. "Naruto-kun, you meanie. You said you'd take me to the park today and play with the nice birdies…what time are we going? And why did you cut your hair? It was nice and pretty the way it was; nice and long like a princess'!" She happily ignored the twitch his body made at the 'pretty' remark.

"I did, didn't I?" He sighed dramatically, scratching the back of his head. He really should watch what he said around the little girl. Glancing at his laptop, he frowned and a Kage Bunshin appeared next to him in a puff of smoke. "Alright Akeno, give me a couple of minutes and we'll be out of here in no time."

"Okay, Naruto-kun! I'll go tell Kaa-chan and Kuroka-san we're leaving!"

Whipping his head towards her retreating figure, Naruto face-palmed. "Should've made sure those two were out," he muttered before looking at his shadow clone. "Finish reading the page and begin working on Project Bijuu. Be sure to commence the extraction of Hashirama's DNA as well as Uchiha Izuna's."

"Hai boss!" The Kage Bunshin saluted, reaching out to grab the laptop only for Naruto to grab its hand in a vice-like grip.

Staring into his blazing Sharingan, the clone gulped at the dangerous look in his eyes. "You ever go on a porn spree again like that last time again and I will make sure you regret it. Understand?"

"H-Hai."

Striding towards the doors, a black undershirt materialized in a burst of black flames. A second later, crimson flames materialized and morphed into a crimson pullover that he slid on. Bending down to tie his shoelaces together, Naruto felt that something big was going to happen today.

He just didn't see how going to the park would result in that.

**-Park, Twenty Minutes Later-**

Akeno whooped with joy as she run through the park towards the swing sets. Trailing behind her were Naruto, Kuroka and Shuri; Naruto was wearing the same clothing as before, whilst Shuri wore an elaborate black kimono and ornately detailed headband. Kuroka had a plain white T-shirt and a pair of jeans that hugged all her curves along with simple sandals to complete her look.

"I'm just saying that Vali might be a little inexperienced to be babysitting my cute little sister. I mean, what if she needs to be changed or catches something and he can't help her?" Kuroka argued as they followed Akeno through the park, keeping her in their sights as she interacted with the play toys.

Shuri sighed but smiled at Kuroka's protective nature towards her sister. "I'm sure everything will be fine, Kuroka. When I first had Akeno, Vali and Naruto both helped me raise her so I can definitely say that Vali will be able to look after her."

"He'd better be," Naruto spoke up, "With the number of times you've begged us to help you take care of Akeno, I'd be surprised if something bad does happen to her. Speaking of which, have you decided on a name yet? We can't keep calling her 'Kitty' all the time." He asked Kuroka, who seemed to deflate into herself.

"I actually don't know which name sounds the best- there's Shiro, Amaya, Haku…I can't pick one, nya." She sounded really disheartened about the issue but perked up as she delivered her news. "Therefore, I'm letting Akeno-chan choose her name!"

Naruto chuckled at her solution to the question. "You're going to let a little girl choose a name for your sister? If you're not careful, she might end up with a name like Eggs N. Bacon. Can you believe she said that my hair was pretty when I grew it out?" He shook his head firmly to resist the involuntary eye twitch that usually followed that statement.

Shuri let out a little giggle as she turned to look at him with eyes that held amusement. "Oh? Little Akeno seems to think you must be turning into a female; I've never heard of a man being described as pretty before." Her skillfully crafted innocent face didn't crack as Naruto glared at her.

Kuroka had turned away, her face having a light dusting of redness whilst her eyes drifted anywhere other than Naruto's head. "Um…maybe she has a point, nya?" Seeing him shift his attention to her, her blush deepened and she rapidly moved to explain. "A-Ano, when she said your hair is pretty when its long, she might've been trying to say that she preferred the sight of you with long hair than it being so short." Summoning her courage, Kuroka crossed her hands underneath her breasts and sucked in a short breath. "Well, if I'm honest myself, I would also like it if Naruto-san let his hair grow out…"

Looking like the cat that ate the canary, Shuri pounced on Kuroka's admittance. "So Akeno-chan has competition for Naruto-kun's heart, huh? Ufufu, how cute this scene is; still, I doubt either of you can remove me from that special place in his heart…don't you think so, Naruto-kun?" Winking at the maddeningly red Kuroka, Shuri linked her arms with Naruto's and pulled him ahead. "Come on, we don't want to lose sight of Akeno-chan, do we?"

**-Akeno-**

"Ano, can I play with you?" The young Human/Fallen Angel hybrid blinked curiously at the voice and paused in her sand-sculpting to see the person who had spoken.

Standing right beside her with a curious and slightly nervous expression was a young girl around the same age as Akeno herself. The first thing that drew people's attention was her long, about the same length of Akeno's, crimson-red hair; it was such a beautiful shade of red- more crimson than strawberry-blonde hair, more like the red of blood that flows through the body. A single hair strand stuck out from the top of her head, with loose bangs covering her forehead and side bangs framing her face.

Her hair also contrasted very well with her eyes, which were a startling shade of blue-green that one couldn't help but admire. Her skin tone was light, but not pale and she stood around the same height as Akeno though the latter looked taller because of her ponytail. She wore a loose mid-thigh length red dress, and black pants that closed in under knee, with black, orange, and red Chinese slippers.

Smiling pleasantly at the new stranger, Akeno nodded affirmatively. "Sure thing! I could use some help myself." Pausing for a moment, Akeno made a small 'aah' of realization and hastily got to her feet. "Gomen, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Himejima Akeno. It's a pleasure to meet you." She greeted with a bow. Her mother had always told her that good manners attracted people, so she tried using them to make a good impression on the new girl.

The other girl laughed nervously at Akeno's politeness, returning the bow with the ease of someone who had been groomed for nobility. "No need to be so polite, though it is pretty nice. My name is Rias Gremory and I'm a Devil. Nice to meet you as well, Himejima Akeno."

Akeno's eyes widened and she took a few steps back, dropping the spade she had been using in the sandbox. "A Devil? Like those ugly, gross and bad people in the stories?" Without giving Rias a chance to reply, she dropped to her knees and began to beg the increasingly confused Devil to spare her life. "Please don't eat me! I don't taste good, I promise you that! You might think that I'm edible because I look this pretty but I don't!"

Rias, rather than get annoyed, blinked once before she began to giggle, which served to throw Akeno off her game even more. "No, no, no," she shook her head, waving her hands as well to make things clearer for Akeno. "The Devils you're talking about are all very old, even on the brink of extinction. Newer generations of Devils are more pretty-looking. Besides, most aren't bad." Rias corrected. "We're just a greedy race, wanting what we desire passionately. We also eat the same things you eat so don't worry about me eating you up."

Akeno looked the tiniest bit interested now that she was sure Rias wasn't going to turn into some disgusting creature and eat her bones. "So…can you like, do something special? Like magic?"

Rias' eyes sparkled crimson in excitement. "If I show you some magic, will you let me play with you?" She asked excitedly.

Akeno beamed at the deal offered her. A magic show PLUS a playmate/potential friend in one sitting? She was definitely having good luck today! "Sure, you can play with me for the day. Still, I'd like to see the magic you can do."

Squealing in excitement, Rias run over to a nearby tree that was far enough that Akeno wouldn't get hurt but close enough that she could see what would happen. "For my first trick, I'm going to make this tree freeze!" Thrusting her hands out, a large crimson magic circle appeared in front of Rias. Pouring magic energy into her 'Freeze' spell, Rias threw her arms into the air and released the energy that had been building up.

The results were spectacular. The entire tree had been turned into a block of ice that preserved it in its entirety, even capturing the leaves that had been in motion. All the more extraordinary was the fact that Rias, despite the impressive bit of magic she had just displayed, was as fine as she had been.

Turning to face Akeno, who was staring at the spectacle with wide eyes and open mouth, Rias crossed her arms over her chest with a self satisfied look on her face. "Now let's play, Akeno-chan!"

Snapping out of her daze, Akeno nodded enthusiastically. "Hai!"

**-Time Skip-**

Akeno and Rias lay on the park grounds, enjoying the rest they were finally taking. "Say, Akeno," Said girl perked up, listening attentively. "Can you tell me more about yourself? You seem like a really nice person and I'd like to get to know you better."

Smiling brightly, Akeno began to talk about herself. "Okay! My name is Himejima Akeno and I'm ten years old. I like painting, playing with Naruto-kun, my Kaa-chan and killing animals." She said cheerfully. Since she was facing away from Rias, she didn't see the redhead's arched brow and confused expression. "Oh, I also like picking on Vali-nii and Rias-chan! I don't like the time Kuroka-san spends with Naruto-kun, red bean soup and my bedtime. I mean, going to bed at eight o'clock is so unfair! Naruto-kun gets to sleep whenever he wants and Vali-nii goes to bed at ten, so why do I have to be the one to sleep at eight?"

Shaking her head, Akeno continued with her introduction. "My dream for the future is to play with Naruto-kun forever and ever! Ah, also to become a high paying tea shop owner!" She finished with a giggle, before patting Rias on her arm. "Your turn. Say your name, likes, dislikes and dreams like I did."

Giggling softly, Rias shifted into a more comfortable position and began. "Okay, my name is Rias Gremory, the Heiress of the Gremory Clan. I like the colour red, my family even though my brother can be annoying, anime and mysteries. I dislike waiting for an entire week for a new episode of Samurai Cross, the bad animation episodes and being forced to do something that I don't get anything from."

Letting her eyes drift to the orange skies, something she had never heard of during her time in the Underworld, and spoke on, her voice much softer than it was before. "My dream for the future is to become a great Gremory Leader, one whom others can depend on to help them through the problems that would face the Clan. My other dream would be too mature for you to hear." She teased.

Akeno huffed loudly. "C'mon, we're practically the same age. If you can have thoughts about it, why shouldn't I?"

Laughing at Akeno's annoyed tone, Rias smiled wistfully. "My other dream is to find someone who sees me as Rias, not just as the Gremory Heiress, and love me for myself. Do you ever think about that, Akeno-chan? About finding someone you'll be happy with, who would accept you despite all your flaws and imperfections?" Rias gently questioned.

Frowning in thought, Akeno eventually shrugged. "Not too much…Kaa-chan said I'm not supposed to worry about that just yet. She said something else about puberty and boys but I wasn't paying attention. But I wouldn't worry about that if I were you."

Rias blinked and sat up to look at Akeno. "Why not?" She wondered.

Sitting up as well, Akeno smiled brightly at her new friend. "You've got me now; it's not much, but I'll be there to help you deal with it. Friends should help each other out, so I'll do my best to treat you as Rias, not Gremory-san." Spreading her arms open, Akeno smiled. "Come on, let me give you a hug."

Sniffling at Akeno's words, Rias complied with her wishes and leapt into her arms with a tight hug. She may have been here to find new Pieces for her Peerage, but she had found something much better than that.

She had found a good friend.

**A/N: Done. Now, I said Naruto would fight a Shinto Kami and it will happen but it's been pushed back a little so as to allow this to play out. If you can't figure it out, read the title of the chapter and you just might get it…Also Rias' introduction was very honest, because children at that age tend to speak their mind; since she is proud of being a Devil, it doesn't seem out of place.**

**Also, if you read closely, you'll notice that Akeno's age doesn't add up with the time skips I've been creating. That will be explained in the next chapter as well, it is not a plot-hole. Technically, Vali is the oldest of the children in Naruto's Faction whilst Kuroka, Naruto's second recruit, is the only teen. Shuri's age has been stated above and Naruto is ageless, though he appears around the age of 15 and his appearance will 'grow' as well.**

**Was this chapter good? Bad? Let me know in your reviews. And yes, there is a reason why Naruto and the others are nowhere to be seen when Rias entered the picture. Why, you ask? You'll have to wait for the next chapter, I'm afraid.**

**People are saying that Naruto's harem is too large. I understand where you guys are coming from, but the DxD verse has a different meaning to that. Raiser had 15 females, which included his own sister, in his Peerage (which we all know was his harem) and nobody raised any complaints save Issei. If 15 is an acceptable number in DxD for a harem, then mine is not 'too large'. Also, people forget that some of the girls won't be getting any screen time for quite a while; it's not going to be one single event that makes them all wanna jump his bones. Things like this will take time, though I've already sown the seeds in both Akeno and Kuroka.**

**Till next time, **

**MaelstromBankai.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Highschool DxD or any other anime/manga that appears in this fanfic. If I did, then we would all be in an alternate universe where Adolf Hitler and Justin Bieber were never born.**

**Last Time:**

**Sitting up as well, Akeno smiled brightly at her new friend. "You've got me now; it's not much, but I'll be there to help you deal with it. Friends should help each other out, so I'll do my best to treat you as Rias, not Gremory-san." Spreading her arms open, Akeno smiled. "Come on, let me give you a hug."**

**Sniffling at Akeno's words, Rias complied with her wishes and leapt into her arms with a tight hug. She may have been here to find new Pieces for her Peerage, but she had found something much better than that.**

**She had found a good friend.**

**Chapter 5: The Return of a Fallen-Part 2**

**-Naruto's Group, Twenty Minutes Before-**

As the trio watched Akeno zip ahead with a joyous yell towards the swings, Kuroka smiled softly at her retreating tiny figure. "Shuri-sama will have a lot of trouble when Akeno-chan matures, nya?" She questioned, shooting a sly look at the former shrine maiden. Her face was still slightly red from the teasing she had endured from her senior and she was eager to return the favour.

At Kuroka's question, Shuri just giggled into her hand and shook her head. "Not at all, though I agree that Akeno will turn out to be a fine young lady someday." She seemingly ignored the incredulous look Naruto sent her and pointed at him. "Naru-kun will just beat up all the boys that try to court her."

"First of all, what do you mean by 'fine lady'? I know how you really are when you're intimate with someone and it is the furthest thing from being a lady." Naruto asked, glancing at a nearby ice-cream van. He hadn't eaten anything before they had set out and he was in the mood for something sweet. "Also, what do you mean by me beating her would-be courters away? She's your daughter; my guess is she'll kill them in some manner and manage to pass it off as an accident." Naruto retorted.

Kuroka sweat-dropped at his answer, even more at the casual way he said it. The image of a grown up Akeno, who was just as attractive and teasing as her mother, popped into her mind with a beautiful smile, an adorable aura…and a bloody heart in her hands, the organ still pumping blood as though it was still functioning. The imagined Akeno laughed beautifully as she vaporized the heart with her Holy Lightning. A chill run down her spine and she had a sudden worry for her sister's future, especially if Akeno turned out to be her only friend…

Shuri frowned lightly at his words. "Naru-kun, you know Akeno wouldn't do something like that…she's much too calm and level-headed to act on her emotions like that."

Naruto arched a brow. "Then can you explain why she always has the look of an angered sadist when she sees me working with Kuroka-chan?" Shuri's surprised gasp and Kuroka's slack-jawed look made him blink in confusion. "What is it?"

Coming out of her surprise quickly, Shuri just giggled more. "Ara ara, ufufu…looks like Akeno has already chosen her future husband. Good luck trying to snatch Naru-kun's heart, Kuroka; if you strike first, you'll have a major advantage over Akeno." Shuri encouraged, though it was difficult for either Kuroka or Naruto to tell if she was kidding or not.

Shaking his head at her antics, Naruto narrowed his eyes as he felt a spike of magical energy in the direction of the park benches. The nature of the energy was demonic, making him wonder what Devils were doing here. He hadn't made any attempts to step out of the shadows, so why was there a Devil gathering just a few meters away from him? "Kuroka, Shuri." Both women snapped to attention at the sound of his voice; it no longer held the slight amusement that was present whenever he was anything but serious. Now it sounded as Shuri remembered it to be on that night; cold and commanding, a powerful thing that made you instinctively obey his every word. "Kuroka, head back home and make sure that the defenses are active. Once they are, stay there with Vali until you hear from me."

She nodded sharply and disappeared in a flash of golden light towards their home. Turning to Shuri, Naruto continued to relay the rest of his orders. "Get to Akeno and watch over her. If she is in no danger, remain out of sight and keep an eye out from a distance. If she's in trouble," He slammed his hand to the ground, making a large cloud of smoke appear. As it died down, two large sized nine-tailed foxes stood at attention. The one of the left was a black-furred summon, the elder of the two, whilst the fox on the right was a brilliant scarlet. "Kuromaru and Sesshomaru will be there to back you up. If you have any trouble at all, I give you full permission to use _that_ power."

Shuri nodded sharply, her eyes no longer playful and inviting but hard as ice. "Hai, Naruto-sama. I'm off." Dashing away at speeds that should be impossible due to her choice of clothing, Shuri and the fox summons quickly left the area.

Letting loose a sigh, Naruto began to walk towards the unwelcome visitors. Whilst he was confident that the Devils hadn't caught wind of him, it was best to assume that his privacy had been compromised. It was times like this that made him wonder if a Kami was interfering with his activities; maybe Susano'o was behind this…the bastard had been antagonistic towards him after he had found him in bed with Amaterasu. _'That reminds me, I've got a bone to pick with that prick…'_

**-Gremory Family, Ten Minutes Before-**

In a desolate area of the park, where the benches were usually placed for families to rest, a large crimson-coloured magic circle appeared in a flash of colour in the otherwise plain surrounding. Within the center of the magic circle stood six individuals, each gazing at the park with interest in their eyes.

The eldest looking individual was a middle-aged looking individual with crimson red hair that was the same shade as two of the other members. He had a well trimmed goatee that somewhat resembled a crescent moon and his hair reached the middle of his back. He wore casual clothes, namely a navy blue T-shirt with a pair of jeans that were a shade darker than his shirt, and his face had a kind and easygoing look to it. Rubbing his stiff neck, the man smiled and took in a deep whiff of the air. "Aah…the scent of the human world. It's been a while since we've been here…"

The woman by his side was undeniably the man's wife; standing just a head shorter than her husband, the woman nonetheless had a regal, almost noble air about her. Her mid-length brunette hair and eyes that were a startling shade of blue-green gave her a sensuous appeal that turned the heads of many men and women. A single hair strand stuck out from the top of her head, with loose bangs covering her forehead and side bangs framing her face. Her buxom figure was clothed in simple casual clothing, namely a modest-length skirt and simple blouse. She smiled at her youngest child, who was looking at the park with childish interest and excitement. "Well Rias, why don't we get started with the swings over there?" She asked, pointing to a pair of swings that weren't too far from their location.

The girl gave her mother an excited whoop and began to pull her along. As the two headed towards the swings, a teenager who could only be Rias' big brother stepped up with a pout. "Eh? Ria-tan, don't you want to play with Onii-chan?" From his position in the dense foliage, Naruto sweat-dropped at the sight of stars emanating from the redhead as he spoke.

Rias and Venelana stopped briefly, the latter sending the boy a firm look that made him take a step back in nervousness. "Sirzechs, you've played with Rias enough whilst we were in the Underworld. Your father and I haven't been able to spend much time with Rias lately due to your upcoming coronation," she ignored the indignant sound he made at 'the useless ceremony that prevents me from playing with Ria-tan!', "so as of today, Rias will be spending her day with Tou-san and Kaa-chan. Now come Rias, let's go to the swings." Venelana said, leading a bouncing Rias away for some mother-daughter bonding time.

Sirzechs pouted once more, crossing his arms as he watched his mother and sister leave him. With the same crimson hair, blue-green eyes and skin complexion of his mother, Sirzechs was a handsome and youthful male. He had the appearance of a 16 year old teenager, but Naruto had the suspicion that Sirzechs was far older than he appeared. He wore a custom-made black shirt which had the Gremory Clan symbol etched on its back and a pair of navy blue jeans that were secured by a length of chain. "This sucks…I had so many things I wanted to do with Ria-tan." He whined, causing the female standing quite close to him to shake her head at his attitude.

"Are you forgetting that Rias-chan and Venelana-sama haven't been able to spend much time together, hence the reason we are here today?" She made sure to make her words sound as sarcastic as possible so as to insult Sirzechs.

Sirzechs lost his pout and gained a lecherous look on his face that the female had come to dislike. "Ara? Grayfia-chan, are you feeling jealous that you're not the center of my attention?" Without even waiting for her to refute his statement, he suddenly pulled her into an intimate hug and began to cuddle up to the embarrassed female. "I'm so sorry Grayfia! Because I was so looking forward to playing with Ria-tan, I overlooked your feelings and ended up hurting you…allow me to make it up to you!" He whipped his head up, eyes brimming with comical tears towards his amused father. "Tou-chan, Grayfia and I are going to make sweet, passionate love in the par-GUAAGGGHHH!"

Grayfia glared at Sirzechs through reddened cheeks, who was nursing his head from her punch. "Baka! How is that making things up, Ero-Slacker?!" Grayfia was a beautiful woman, who appeared to be in her late teen years, with silver eye-catching hair and matching eyes. Her hair, which flowed all the way down to her back, featured a long braid on each side with small red bows at the ends, while the rest was let down, ending in twin braids. Even though the others were dressed casually, Grayfia was wearing a blue and white French maid outfit with long sleeves and a white maid headband over her head, with red lipstick as a cosmetic accessory.

The final member of the group sighed in embarrassment at the interaction between his King and Sirzechs' Queen. Souji Okita, Sirzechs' Knight, was a man in his early twenties. He wore the traditional Shisengumi uniform, which consisted of a haori and hakama over a kimono, with a white cord called a tasuki crossed over the chest and tied in the back. The haori was coloured light blue, one of Japan's traditional colours, and the sleeves were trimmed with light mountain stripes.

Whatever Sirzechs would've said died in his mouth at the sound of footsteps in the suddenly silent area. Lord Gremory whipped his head in many directions hoping to see where Rias and Venelana were, but coming up empty with each attempt. Stretching his senses outwards, he narrowed his eyes in thought as he felt his family's energy moving further away from the swings towards the sandboxes. When he focused his attention towards whoever was making the footsteps…

Grayfia, who had sensed the energy of the individual approaching them simultaneously with Lord Gremory, let out a surprised gasp whilst Lord Gremory and Sirzechs got serious and stared at the area where they thought the person was coming from.

"You lot aren't that observant, are you?" Whirling their heads around, Lord Gremory, Grayfia and Souji all started in surprise at the young teen standing right in front of Sirzechs with his left hand thrown over Sirzechs' right shoulder. Deep blue-green eyes stared into crimson slit ones, the former showing a flash of surprise before it was smothered into a serious and calculating look whilst the latter held nothing but boredom. "You didn't really think I would approach you so openly, did you?"

Quicker than any of them expected, the blonde's hand flashed upwards and casually caught the spear of ice Grayfia had sent towards him through a magic circle. What made the feat even more impressive, despite the fact that he had blocked an attack from the 'Strongest Queen', was that his eyes were still trained on Sirzechs'. The stranger twirled the ice languidly, as though he was getting a feel of it. "Interesting attack…crude, but impressive nonetheless."

Souji unsheathed his sword in preparation for a fight that seemed inevitable whilst Grayfia narrowed her eyes at the stranger. Lord Gremory strode forwards, his eyes narrowed and body thrumming with power that was barely being held back. "Who are you and what is it you want with us?" He questioned, mentally sighing in relief as he figured why his wife had moved Rias away. _'Venelana-chan…you sensed his approach before any of us and took Rias away whilst we deal with him, huh?'_

The stranger finally extracted himself off Sirzechs, who was uncharacteristically silent and observant of the blonde, and turned so that he was facing each of them from an angle. Cocking his head to the side, he smiled politely and made an inclination with his head. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I'm here to witness the strength boasted by Devils. Most test subjects I encounter turn out to be an exaggeration of the actual truth and I found myself curious about that one's power." He pointed to Grayfia, who merely narrowed her eyes some more.

Sirzechs was the next to speak, his voice still light and pleasant. "Ora? You want to fight my Grayfia-chan? Isn't that a bit unfair; you are clearly beyond the level of an ordinary Devil…if I had to guess, I'd say you're at least marginally weaker than me."

Naruto smirked at the teen, crossing his arms and leaning back to float in the air. "Well, think of this as my official debut to this world and the Devils; unless you would rather fight me here and now?"

Lord Gremory frowned at Naruto's reasoning. "Why are you so eager to pick a fight with my son and his peerage?" He seemed to have calmed down a bit, though he was still on guard in front of Naruto.

Naruto spread his arms wide as he replied. "I wish to fight because there is something I wish to confirm about Ginhime," his smirk widened at the scowl that briefly flashed on her face, "and also because I have no desire to be looked down upon by your kind. Basically, I wish to reveal myself to the soon-to-be Lucifer and ensure that my voice will be heard."

"What kind of stupid reasoning is that?!" Souji snarled.

Naruto shrugged. "Devils respect strength, both mental and physical, and I am curious about the young Lucifer's power." His eyes raked over Sirzechs, who was watching him with a gentle smile. "Though he appears to be an idiot, he has the power to back his claim. Ginhime has a fearsome title that I want to confirm and your son here is strong enough to be considered a Satan already…"

Naruto released his hands and settled back on his feet with a calm look on his face. "It might not make sense to you, but I **will** fight you two." An uncomfortable silence ensued as each of the Gremory family felt the resolve in his voice. It didn't matter to him what reasoning he had, they realized; like Sairarog, Lord Gremory thought, Naruto seemed like the sort of person who would pick a fight with any strong person with some half-assed reasoning.

Stepping forwards, Lord Gremory cleared his throat. "Uzumaki-san…why don't you explain yourself comprehensibly and we'll see where it goes? I doubt I speak for us all when I say I'm confused, but please make yourself clear on this matter."

Naruto tilted his head to the side, somehow managing to make the action seem insulting. "I suppose I should clarify things now instead of later…very well then." He locked eyes with Sirzechs, "I was originally headed here to see if you were here to search for me or for other reasons. However, as I watched your interactions, I realized that you had no intention of coming here other than bonding. Normally, I would've left before you discovered me but my curiousity has been peaked at your strength. So, are we going to fight or what?" He grinned in eagerness, cracking his knuckles in preparation for a fight.

Sirzechs snorted, catching the attention of the others. "Don't think I'll waste time battling your clone, Naruto-kun. Besides, we've already fought and you'll have to be satisfied with that result."

Naruto sighed heavily, pouting at the grinning Sirzechs. "I swear, you are such a buzz-kill. Oh well, I'll be seeing you later Zirchs…a troublesome Fallen and his friend approaches. Say hi to Venelana-san for me, 'kay?" In a puff of smoke, the clone disappeared.

Scratching his head lazily, Sirzechs grumbled underneath his breath about annoying blondes when a cough from Grayfia snapped him out of it. Turning to face his father, who had a confused look on his face, Sirzechs' face twisted oddly. "Erm…I can explain?"

"Do so. Now." The combined voices of Lord Gremory, Grayfia and Souji said.

"Well, we first met a year ago in the Underworld," Sirzechs started, gazing into the sky in recollection. "At the time, I was nosing about the boundary that separates us Devils from the Fallen Angels…"

**-Venelana and Rias-**

"Kaa-chan, why aren't we playing on the swings anymore?" A visibly annoyed Rias asked as she was led by her mother towards the sandpits. "It was really fun!"

Smiling warmly at Rias, Venelana mentally grimaced at the situation. The huge power she had sensed coming their way had stopped right where her family was and it was taking a sufficient amount of her restraint to keep from rushing to their side. "Sorry Rias…maybe later in the day we'll go back to the swings." She had to smile at the girl's pout; it really was the most adorable thing she had ever seen!

…Or maybe she was just being biased, since Rias was her daughter.

As the two walked hand in hand, Rias frowned and turned her head towards the ground. "Kaa-chan?"

Venelana stopped, worry creasing her face as she heard the dip in Rias' tone. Bending down to look at Rias in the eye, she began to gently run her hands through Rias' hair. "What is it? Is something bothering you?"

Rias seemed to fixate her gaze on the grassy grounds, apparently finding them rather interesting at the moment. Wrangling her fingers behind her back, she began to voice her worry. "…I don't wanna get married to Raiser." Venelana sighed tiredly at the topic, something she and Lord Gremory had argued with Rias several times already. "Please, Kaa-chan! He and I don't match, no matter what you or Tou-san say. Even Ravel-san says so!" She cried, waving her hands wildly in the air to show how strongly she felt about the matter.

"Rias," Venelana began, hating herself for doing this to her only daughter, "I'm sorry to say this, but we've been over this so many times already; Lord Phenex proposed a marriage between you and Raiser so as to bring the two Clans together as well as secure the pureblood Devil line. I know that Raiser isn't the one you desired, but in time you just might come to love him." She gently suggested, feeling her heart clench uncomfortably as she felt Rias tremble beneath her touch.

With a pained and anguished cry, Rias tore herself from Venelana's embrace and glared at her, hot tears running down her cheeks as her diminutive frame shook in anger. "Nobody listens to me, not even you! You keep saying things will be good, but you only care about the Gremory name! I HATE YOU!" Running away from her shell-shocked mother with speed that her emotions fed, Rias scurried through the park; her voice had been ignored once again and she had been hurt one time too many by her parents.

Ignoring Venelana's cry for her to stop and come back, Rias powered on running; she didn't care where she went…she just wanted to be by herself and not see her family for a while. As she run through some bushes in a random direction, she came to a sudden stop as she bumped into someone. Falling to the ground in a painful heap, Rias gave a pitiful moan as she nursed her head and sides. "Ah, itai…Huh?" As she wiped her blurry eyes, she opened her mouth in awe as she got a good look at the person she had run into.

She was beautiful, Rias noted; the kind of beauty that all looked for, the beauty of one who is content with life. She was a buxom woman with long black hair that was tied into a short ponytail and violet eyes. She wore an elaborate black kimono and ornately detailed headband that only enhanced her beauty, leaving Rias awed of her natural beauty.

She smiled gently at the downed child and extended her hand in a sign of friendship. "Why hello, little one. Why were you running so fast without watching where you were going; you could've been seriously hurt, had I been a tree."

Reaching for her hand with gratitude, Rias was helped to her feet and gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Ano, gomen…I should have watched where I was going, pretty Miss. Ah! Since you're not doing anything, do you mind playing with me?" She asked, sparkly eyes on full blast to try and sway the older woman into doing as she said.

The woman giggled playfully at Rias' attempt. "Mou…sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not really one for playing in the sand." She explained, a part of her delighting in the cute and adorable expression shattering to reveal an utterly disappointed look on the child's face. "However," she continued, watching Rias perk up from the corner of her eyes, "my daughter might be willing to play with you. She's already in the sandpits, look." Pointing to a spot a bit further ahead, the woman watched Rias grin.

"Thank you for the help, Miss! I'll go play with her instead. Bye!"

Waving the little girl off, Shuri watched her go with a little smile on her face. 'Akeno-chan needs a friend her own age…that girl might be a Devil, but that's a trivial detail that I can easily ignore.' Leaping towards the trees, Shuri landed on the branches of an old tree that gave her a good position to watch over Akeno. The two fox summons were keeping an eye out for Akeno and her friend through the foliage, a thought that relaxed her somewhat.

As she settled herself in a comfortable perching spot, her mind wandered to her daughter playing with the young Devil.

Akeno had initially been nothing more than an experiment to Naruto; when he first captured Shuri, he had discovered that she and Baraqiel had sexual intercourse barely two days ago. Whilst she had been unconscious, he had removed the semen that remained in her and manipulated her body using Ketton and knowledge of the human body to instigate her period early. When that was done, he simply reinserted the semen back into her womb and fertilization occurred.

However, the portion of his chakra he used to stimulate her body had some adverse effects on her. The first few days after she had woken up, she could barely even summon the energy to reinforce her body. It got to the point that she could barely even rise from her bed that Naruto acted.

She had known that he would heal her…but she was more than a little surprised at the method he used; instead of healing her personally, he had sent her to the Elemental Nations under the care of a Bijuu who called himself Shruikan. Whilst the Elemental Nations was still undergoing developments, enough construction and repairs had been done for Shruikan to purge Shuri's body of Naruto's chakra. Also, with the time difference between the two worlds, Shuri was able to recover and give birth to Akeno in the Elemental Nations.

One week in her native world was exactly two years in the Elemental Nations; at Naruto's surprising insistence, Shuri had raised Akeno in the Elemental Nations, with Naruto popping in every now and then to view her progress or perform a few tests on both her and Akeno, until she hit the age of six. Naruto then called Shuri back to help recruit new members for an organization he was creating, leaving Akeno in the hands of a Kage Bunshin.

What Shuri didn't know was that Naruto had been surreptitiously feeding Akeno with samples of his blood, which was laced with his chakra. As such, Akeno's natural power capacity was abnormally high, had she been ranked against Devil children.

However, during the four years Naruto had taken them under his wing and trained them, Shuri could see that he was seeing Akeno in a different light. She wasn't sure of his thoughts…even she, who had known him the longest, found it very hard to read Naruto's true thoughts.

'_Still'_, she mused as she watched the two girls hug with a smile, _'I'm content with our lives…'_

**-Naruto's Residence-**

In Naruto's study, the blonde primordial sat on a chair staring at an item he was currently holding. The item was small, probably the size of his pinky finger, and used to glow a brilliant blue. Now, the item was a dull and lifeless white colour.

Naruto stared at the chess piece he was playing with, the latest of his findings in his dissections. The piece had been lodged in the chest of a female Devil he had 'found' in Italy during his trip around the world. When he had discovered it, it had been deeply intertwined with her body and proved more challenging to retrieve. He had noticed that the chess piece had been glowing in the last moments of her life, though the colour receded the moment she died.

Curiousity piqued, Naruto promptly used the Rinnegan to delve into her brain and rip the information from her lifeless corpse. What he discovered actually made him surprised.

The pieces were known as Evil Pieces, a set of 15 chess pieces given to top-class Devils to increase their ranks by reincarnating other beings into Devils. The reason for such measures was the Great War; during that event,

The Evil Pieces resembled to the normal chess pieces in terms of appearance but glowed in accordance to the magic color of the user. The Devil he had dissected came from the Sitri Clan, which explained the blue colour of the piece. Each piece had a corresponding value, which is used to determine which piece may be used to reincarnate someone, their strengths, talents and skill playing a large role in determining their value.

The 'King' Piece was given to High-Class Devils who had a peerage, though the gender of the King made no difference. The female had known of several High-Class Devils that had the piece, be they male or female.

The Queens were worth 9 Pawns. Queens possessed all the characteristics of Rooks, Knights and Bishops, making them the most balanced piece as well as the most powerful. From what the female had known, the only exception to the rule of the Queen Piece always being a female was Tannin, the

Rooks were worth 5 Pawn Pieces. Rooks gained supernatural strength, leading to high offense and defense. However, they weren't quick at all and could be beaten easily by a high-speed opponent…meaning anyone with speed at least Chunin-level could handle a Rook.

Bishops were worth 3 Pawns. Bishops gained enhanced magical abilities which they could use to conjure up a multitude of spells, be they offensive, defensive, healing etc. However, more powerful spells consumed more of their magical power, which takes a long time to regain. Since they are more geared towards magical prowess, most Bishops were physically weak and could be dealt with very easily with physical attacks.

Knights were worth 3 Pawns as well. They gained increased speed and mobility, enabling them to perform high-speed attacks and maneuvers. However, their main weakness is their low defense, making them vulnerable to powerful attacks. Another weakness among knights were their legs; if their legs were injured, their mobility was greatly reduced. Easy pickings, in Naruto's opinion.

Finally, the Pawn Pieces. They were worth only one Pawn and its trait was the ability to promote into a Queen, Rook, Knight or Bishop Piece in enemy territory or with permission of their king.

Naruto stared once more at the piece in his hand, that of a Bishop. The idea of reincarnating individuals sounded interesting, but he didn't have any particular need for more Devils. Sure, a few more Devils under his service would be beneficial, but he wanted variety. Choosing only Devils would make his organization weak against two Factions and limit his movements greatly. However…

He tapped his chin in thought. _'What if I tweak the system? As it stands, the knowledge of the Evil Pieces are available, so creating a system based off it would be easy. The things I should consider…the fact that all individuals are reincarnated as Devils should be removed. If anything, they would be resurrected in their prime states…perhaps with an upgrade or two.'_ He mused.

Turning his eyes towards the piece once again, Naruto smirked. "Forget chess…shogi is what I'll be basing it off." Closing his eyes in thought, he envisioned the pieces. "One King, one Rook, one Bishop, two Gold Generals, two Silver Generals, two Knights, two Lances and 9 Pawns. Twenty pieces, much better than 15…I'll think about the whole Mutation Pieces thing later all."

Turning around in his seat, a wicked smile crept on his face as he saw two familiar individuals glaring at him with Light Spears aimed towards his vital organs. "Hello Azazel, Baraqiel. I've been waiting for you…would you like some tea before we get to business? "

**A/N: Alright, I take back what I said; I'll let you guys have this chapter to keep yourselves busy whilst I work on the others.**

**Now, anyone with a creative name for Naruto's soon-to-be system? For the life of me, I can't think of one for it. As a special note, here is the main ability of Naruto's system: it has the power to resurrect an individual as well as reincarnate them into a different species, depending on the talent, skills and nature of the recipient. **

**I've been on a Battle of Gods craze for the past few days and the idea of my Naruto facing the Highschool DxD God of Destruction is sounding more interesting by the day. Also re-watched the episode Madara demolished the 4****th**** Unit…now I want to recreate that scene in this story. ;)**

**Now, I read kyokasuigetsutotsuka's latest chapter of 'Prophecy Rebirth' and found myself slightly annoyed by some of the reviews that called Laxus cowardly for making Naruto and Mystogun fight each other before him. That's not being cowardly, that's strategic planning; Laxus isn't there to just beat everybody in the Guild, he's there to take over it. You don't take over someplace without planning to ensure your victory and fighting dirty.**

**So the next chapter will finish this little drama as well as Naruto's fight with SUSANO'O! That's right, the brother of Amaterasu will be the one to taste the power of the Juubi!**

**As of now, two people will be Naruto's ******* Pieces: Vali (1****st**** Gold General) and Kuroka (Bishop Piece). Suggestions are welcome.**

**MaelstromBankai.**


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